


Bard the bowman - Captive

by Gwendahi



Category: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2019-10-15 13:56:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17529974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwendahi/pseuds/Gwendahi
Summary: Bard is captured by the Master who is determined to show him who is the one and only true leader of Laketown. Can Bard overcome what's happened to him, and if so is he able to love once more?Trigger warning for torture and rape.





	1. Chapter 1

Bard was taken captive. The dragon never came that day.

\----------

“Open this door! You hear me? Do you not know what is coming?!” Bard shouted for the fifth time. Or was it the sixth? How long had he been in there? His thoughts went out to his children and the upcoming danger he knew was coming. And he was trapped in here, helpless to help them. He felt frustration coming over him as he pounded on the bars of his cell once more, busting open his hands in the process but not feeling any pain.

Feeling momentarily defeated he sat against the wall and closed his eyes. He was tired all of a sudden, how many days had it been with barely any sleep?

It was then that he heard them. Multiple sets of heavy boots in the hallway. Coming towards him. As he stood up he was faced with six heavily armed men. Guards of the master.

The front one leered at him and sneered “Well, well, well.. the town’s beloved Bard.. locked in here as a common criminal.” The men behind him laughed as the guard went to open the door. Bard watched them from the other side of the cell wearily. “Why am I in here? I need to be out there, we all need to leave this place!” The guards entered, swords held ready. “No Bard, you're not going anywhere. The master has requested your presence - that's where you'll be going.” Another guard told him with an unreadable expression on his face. Bard understood it wouldn't do him any good to resist as he was unarmed. He let two of them grab both of his arms and lead him out of cell. The others followed directly behind them.

He was led down the hall and down multiple sets of stairs. As they walked through another hallway Bard noticed no natural light entered from above, it was dark and it felt damp and chilly. Those were the last thoughts on his mind before he felt someone approaching rapidly behind him. A sharp pain to the back of his head and he felt himself sagging in the arms that held them. Then he knew knew nothing anymore as the word turned black around him.

\--------

_Darkness. Cries in the distance. The dragon. His children. “Dad! Please, help us!” His Sigrid, laying motionless on the floor, blood trickling down her face, her eyes open, unseeing.._

“No!” Bard awoke roughly, gasping for air. The vision of his dead daughter one that he couldn’t unsee. Trying to shake off the images of his dream he went to put a hand to his face. Only then he noticed something was wrong. He was in pain. Opening his eyes he saw he was in a small room, dimly lit by torches on the walls around him. And he was standing in the middle of it. His hands tied above him to a ring in the ceiling the only reason he was upright. Feet just touching the ground. His head throbbing with an almost blinding pain and his shoulders feeling as if they were on fire. How long had he been like this?

“So you finally decide to honour us with your presence.. huh _Bard_?” A voice coming from behind him asked. He recognised it immediately. “Alfrid” Bard growled. “What is the meaning of this? Release me!” The slimy black haired men stepped into his view, chuckling under his breath. “Nah, what good would that do? This has been a long time coming".

Bard tried pulling his hands free but the binds that tied him were strong. His feet had been bound too, loosely but still tight enough to not being able to kick someone standing before him. He trashed around but only succeeded in turning a bit – giving him a view of a part of the room that he hadn’t seen before. Behind Alfrid sat none other than the Master. He wasn’t wearing his usual royal attire, no fur cape or jewels, except from a few heavy rings on his fingers. Arms folded across his chest, a cruel smile on his lips. Behind the Master was a table with a series of items on it, most unrecognisable to him – looking like tools. Some Bard did recognise; a whip and several knifes lay to the side.

Bard felt his blood run cold. He started struggling in earnest now against his bonds. Cursing as none of them gave. Blood started to run down his arms from the chaving. Panting, he spoke a single word “Why?”

“Come now Bard, surely you must understand?” the Master almost purred as he stood up and with long strides went to stand in front of him. “You forget your place Bard. You are speaking out when noone asks you too. You install fear in the minds of the villagers. And those poor people are willing to put their trust in you. While you know nothing!”

“Tell him Master, he needs to hear it once and for all! I've been telling him again and again how this town is not ruled by Master Bard. I've told him to mind his own bussiness several times. But does he ever listen? Oh no.. he does not." Alfrid had come forward as well, leaning in from behind his Master.

“What are you two talking ab… there is a dragon coming! We should warn the towns people, get them to get out as soon as they can. Who cares about who’s in charge in times like these?” Bard shouted at the men.

He saw the fist coming but failed to pull out of reach in time. It impacted on his left cheek and snapped his head back. A second later another fist found it’s way into his stomach. Momentarily dazed he tried catching his breath as he felt his head being pulled back by his hair. The Master was now leening into him and growled in his ear “You forget your place in this world Bard. You are nothing. And tonight you will know that you are nothing. I will break you into such tiny pieces that you won’t ever again dream of leading anyone anywhere.” He finished his sentance with another few cruel punches directed at Bard’s stomach and sides. Leaving him winded before walking away and dissapearing behind him.

The Master was a big man. Stronger than his age made him look. Bard looked at Alfrid wearily. He was still standing before him, a smirk on his face. “And what is your role in this Alfrid? You always get to watch while your Master beats up men?”

“Ah no" The Masters voice came from directly behind him. “His job isn’t to just watch. He gets to partake in what I'd like to call heavy duty. And then I will watch, as he breaks you.”

He then came up behind Bard and Bard felt a sharp stinging on his back as he felt his shirt tear away. The Master was cutting away his shirt with a knife and as he did Bard felt him closing in. He reacted on instinct and threw his head back, feeling satisfied as he felt himself hitting something; a crunch, a yelp. Then the Master appeared in view again, holding his bleeding nose with his hands.

Alfrid ran to him and tried to offer his help as the Master angrily shook him off and stood straight again. Bard let out a low chuckle “Didn’t hurt you too much there did I _master_..?” he asked sacastically.

Alfrid dissapeared briefly from view before returning with a knife. Without warning he came up at Bard and plunged the knife to the hilt deep in his tigh muscle, before twisting and pulling it out in a swift move. Bard put his head in his neck and screamed. Sagging forward slightly in his bonds he tried to stay focused and calm. His breathing came out shallow and fast, inwardly he cursed himself for screaming. As the horrors of reality began to sink in he felt the barricades in his mind go up. Stealing himself against what was to come. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of screaming again, of letting the pain show.

As he stood upright again he looked into both faces staring at him. Both with their own crazed look upon them. The Master had blood still running out of his nose and down his chin. But he looked pleased. “Bard, Bard.. You will know all about hurt and pain very soon".

At a sign from the Master, Alfrid dissapeared behind his back, still holding the knife. Bard felt him cutting away the remains of his shirt, although Alfrid made sure to keep his distance. Too soon he felt the last of the fabrics being pulled away from his skin, leaving him bare chested standing between them.

The Master slowly walked to a chair which Bard hadn’t noticed was there before. He felt Alfrid walking away and heard him picking something up from the table. He dreaded what was coming but stealed himself anyway.

The Master nodded at Alfrid behind him. Unmistakable the permission was given to begin. He heard a swoosh of air before his back was struck by white coldfire, crawling over his side before leaving abrubtly. Bard bit the inside of his lip and cheeck to stop from screaming out. He barely had time to recover when the second strike fell on his back. “I’m being whipped, oh god. Please give me the strength to endure this and get out of here" Bard prayed in silence. After strike 14 he stopped counting. Feeling dazed, eyes not quite focussing on the Master still seated before him. He barely registred Alfrid breathing roughly behind him, trying to strike him harder each time. Trying to coax a sound from him.

He still hadn’t screamed.

Bard could feel his mind starting to drift. He barely felt the assault on his back anymore. Slowly his vision blurred, the noises Alfrid made as he began running out breath, the sound the whip made in the air and then as it came into contact with his flesh; It all dissapeared in the background as he felt his mind drift off.

_“Dad! You're home again!” Bard was welcomed by his two daughters, laughing and throwing themselfs in his arms. “Ofcourse I'm home, I missed you – I can only stay away from you girls this long!” he looked up to see his only son standing behind his sisters. Patiently waiting for his dad to greet him. Bard let go of his girls to grab Bain and pull him into a hug. “I've missed you too, son"._

His vision blurred again.

_“Dad, no don't.. please, dad!” a boy sat cowering against a wall, a tall dark figure looming over him, fist raised and ready to strike._

He was harshly brought back to reality when cold water was thrown into his face.

Bard found himself hanging heavily from his wrists. Head hanging down, his back on fire. He could feel wetness trickling down his back and waist. He stood upright shakily as he tried to regain his posture. “Just let me go, it will all be for nothing soon anyway..” his voice a rough whisper.

“That won’t be any of your concern anymore. Not after we've finished with you.” The Master stood before him again. Slowly he started circling Bard. Then he could feel fingers touching him, stroking over the welts on his back, fingernails scraping and adding fire in places he thought he couldn’t hurt any more. Bard’s breathing hitched in his throat as he tried to not show any emotion.

“You've been stronger than I gave you credits for. You've kept silent so far. I wonder what it would take for us to make you scream, hmm?” The master once again went and stood before him. Now holding a knife in his right hand. Slowly he brought the knife down to Bard’s chest and, almost lazily, let the tip of the knife draw a pattern in his chest. Bard closed his eyes as he felt the knife carve into his chest. When the knife went over his ribs he exhaled a shaky breath. Then the knife suddenly dropped to this toned stomach and there it swiftly cut a path from side to side, still shallow but deeper nevertheless.

It was all Bard could do to keep from crying out. He could taste blood in his mouth from where he’s bitten his cheek in the effort of keeping quiet. When the knife dropped lower still, sinking the end ever so slightly into one of his hips, his breathing hitched and he unwillingly gasped out loud.

“Ah, so there you are. You can make a sound.” The Master looked pleased again, having stopped the knife from going further in his path of destruction. “No, no Bard - don’t you close your eyes now again. I want to have you awake for what I have planned.”

Alfrid came into his vision holding a cup of water, letting it run down over his face and slapping Bard hard on the cheek to keep him awake. “You with us there Bardie? Now now, don’t you look at me like that. You've brought this all upon yourself.”

Bard could feel himself losing sense of time and reality. Blood running down his leg, his back, from the cuts on his chest and stomach. It was weakening him. Feeling dizzy he noticed he could no longer feel his hands anymore. Most of his weight now supported by them, his legs still working but bloodloss and shock started taking it's toll. His body swaying every now and then.

Alfrid still stood before him and it came as a suprise when suddenly he felt a knife from behind cutting away at his pants. He could feel cool air on his skin and fabric being pulled away, like his shirt earlier (how long ago? I don’t know. How long have I been here?)

Then Alfrid put his own knife to Bard's skin once more. Starting on his chest before slowly circling towards his nipple. The blade grazed over his nipple, then circled round and came back; only deeper this time. Bard let out an involuntary moan. “Stop this, at once.”

It then registred to him that the last parts of his pants were in the process of being cut off and he was standing naked in between them. At the same time Alfrid looked him in the eye and, holding eye contact, put his one hand holding the knife to Bards throat in an apparent threat. His other hand went to the inside of Bard's legs and rougly cupped him there. Bard tried pulling away, spitting at the other man. Then he brought his knee up sharply and was just able to knee the smaller man in the groin, making him groan and stumble back.

He was punched multiple times in the back, feeling wounds starting to bleed harder. Then a rope went over his head and tightened around his neck.

The Master came up beside him, holding the end of the rope in his hands. “Resisting is futile Bard. I want you to accept that this is your punishment.”

He then pulled on the rope and Bard felt it constrict around his throat. He couldn't breathe.

All too soon his vision was blurring, his head feeling as if it would explode. When he started to sag completely in his bonds, on the verge of passing out, he felt the rope being released and he could breathe again. Drawing in rough breathes he felt himself being lowered slightly to the floor, putting more weight on his feet before they were being spread and tied securely to rings in the floor.

“Please. Do not do this.” His voice a rough whisper, he didn't care to be pleading. Bard just wished for this to stop, to wake up in his bedroom, sounds of his children near him in the house, to find all of this a bad dream. He could handle a beating. Pain he could endure. He'd endured enough of it growing up without a mother – left alone with his father who drank too much and took his temper out on him. More often than not. He just didn't know how much more he could take. If he had strength to endure this.

He was no fool, he'd lain with men before, long ago. Before he met his wife and fell madly in love with her. He knew what they wanted of him. He let his head hang down, his long hair covering his face. Dizzy. Then hands on him. Scratching, hurting, groping hands. Sliding down his back, covering his bare buttocks with slick hands, wet with his own blood.

He tried to shy away from the touch only to find Alfrid pressing up him from the front. Digging his fingers in the wound in his thigh while tightening the rope violently again with his other hand. Bard involuntary let out a groan, trying to suck air into his starving lungs.

He could hear the Master panting behind him, the sound of fabrics being shed. Then he pressed himself flush against Bard. Nails dragging bloody trails once again down his back. Bard could feel the Master's cock pressing up against him. Terror flooding him. His vision now swimming, on the verge on losing consciousness. Welcoming the darkness as it edged on the outskirts of his vision.

The rope was released again. His body forcing him to take in deep breaths, bringing him back into reality.

It was then that the Master positioned himself against Bard's opening. With one harsh thrust he breeched the body of the younger man tied before him.

It was then that Bard finally screamed.

“By the Gods Bard, you are _tight_!” the Master panted behind him. His hand came up in his hair and pulled Bard's head back up against his shoulder. He pulled back until only the head of his cock was inside Bard, only to plunge directly back in. Pushing until he was fully inside in the broken body before him.

Bard was moaning uncontrollably, small cries of pain escaping his lips with every harsh thrust inside his body, not being able to stop the sounds coming from his mouth anymore. He vagualy registred Alfrid having opened his pants and stroking his own cock feverishly while watching the scene in front of him. Alfrid's nails pinching his already abused nipples.

The Master let his hair go and his head lolled back down. Hands on his hips now, fingers holding him in a bruising grip. Thrusts inside him only meant to hurt him. His whole body was on fire.

Bard could slowly feel himself drifting in and out of consciousness.

\--------

Chaos outside the room. A door opening. The sounds didn’t register to Bard, the look of fear in Alfrid’s eyes puzzling him. Alfrid then let out a shriek and his eyes glazed over as the tip of a sword made it's way out his chest.

His body was thrown to the side and Bard could see two figures entering the room. He could feel the Master being pulled from him, the sound of steel entering flesh. A body hitting the floor.

His vision swam and then he didn't know anything anymore as he succomed to the darkness.

\-------

“By the Eldar, Legolas, his children were right..” Tauriel stood before Bard, hanging from the ceiling.

“Yes, alas.. is he alive?” Legolas asked as he wiped the blood from his knifes, disgusted at the scene they'd just walked into. Men. They were all the same. Foul creatures. Easily temped by evil with promises of riches and triumph. Having fought off a couple of orcs at this man's house, the children had begged them to find their dad. They feared he was taken and would be killed by the towns chief. Legolas had been unwilling at first, before learning the man's name. Bard. A descendant from Girion, Lord of Dale. Legolas had known the city of Dale before the desolation of Smaug. In all it's glory and wealth it had sat upon the hill. Ruled by a fair man, a man that had fought for his people. To give them a life of prosperity and freedom. A man that Legolas had called a dear friend, if not more. Before all came crumbling down all those years ago in the fires that Smaug brought upon them.

“He's alive! Help me get him down!” He was pulled from his reveries by Tauriel, calling for his aid.

For the first time since setting foot in that chamber he looked at the man hanging so still before him. He hung from his wrists from a ring in the ceiling. His hands a blackish blue above the bonds. Legs tied apart on the floor, not bearing his weight. His head slumped forward, face obscured by dark thick hair. A rope dangling from his neck.

Naked.

Blood dripping down from a wound to the back of his head. His back whipped into a bleeding mess, welts all over it, some circling around his torso. Angry knife patterns on his chest and stomach. A deep wound to his thigh that was bleeding profusely. Bruises all over his torso and back.

On the back of his thighs were also streaks of red. Angry handshaped bruises on his hips.

Legolas cursed inwardly. What this man had gone through would be enough to send an elf to the halls of Mandos. He knew men were strong, not prone to give up after being violated like this. But still, he didn't know if they could save him.

He stood before him and removed the rope still tied around the mans throat. Eyeing the depth of the bruise beneath it wearily. “Cut his feet loose Tauriel, then hold him as I free his wrists" Legolas ordered in a soft but steady voice.

Together they untied him and gently lowered him on his side to the floor. Carefull to not put any pressure on the wounds of his back. He didn't wake up. The only signs of him being alive the barely excistent rise and fall of his chest and a tremor that every now and then went through his body. Legolas pushed strands of hair out of Bards face. His breathing hitched. He was beautiful. Even with the bruises on his face he could see the delicate, yet masculine features, the sun kissed skin framed by dark almost curly hair. He reminded him so much of Girion that he exhaled shakily.

“Tauriel, we cannot return him to his children like this. Find my horse. I will take him with me. You stay behind and take care of them, do you understand?”

“Yes mellon-nin, but where will you take him? He cannot ride far, if at all.” Tauriel was watching him with an unreadable expression on her fair face.

“We will seek shelter in Dale”.


	2. Bard the bowman - Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Bard was tortured and raped he needs to come to terms with what was done to him. Can he trust Legolas to help him feel whole again?
> 
> Trigger warnings: aftermath of rape and torture, hurt/comfort

 

It was dark when Bard came to. His body in pain, unable to see his surroundings clearly. He was lying on his side, mind reeling; trying to understand what had happened, where he was. He rolled over onto his back, half sitting up. Sharp pain in his lower and upper back made him choke on his breath. A soft cry escaped his lips. The images came flooding back.

_Suspended from the ceiling._

_Whip lashes on his back. Rope around his throat._

_Hands touching him. Hurting him._

_A man behind him._

_Someone screaming._

“N..No!” Bard choked out as he remembered it all.

Movement to his left. He saw someone approaching swiftly and panicking he leapt up and backed into a corner. “Don't”. His voice breaking in the effort of trying to steady it.

Readying himself to fight he blindly reached for a torch lying nearby, holding it out in front of him. He'd die fighting. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of capturing him again, not alive.

“Please, I mean you no harm.” The dark figure approaching slowed down and held out his hands as he dropped any weapons he had on him on the floor behind him.

“Your attackers are dead, you have nothing to fear."

Bard started to see the figure more clearly now as a thundrous sound started ringing in his ears. Pale, blonde, his eyes kind as he carefully continued to approach him. An elf.

He dropped the torch. Suddenly all the fight left him and with it went his strength. His knees buckled and he sank to the floor, the thundering in his ears now overwhelming. Spots lining his vision.

“My name is Legolas. You are safe now.” He felt strong hands preventing him from dropping to the floor, then darkness overcame him.

\------------

When he woke up again he was lying on his side on a makeshift bed. It was light outside, the sun peering in from a window on the other side of the room. Nothing looked familiair. “Where am I?” Bard croaked out even though the blonde haired stranger was nowhere in sight.

“You are in the lost city of Dale. I took you here to recover and rest.” Hestitantly he added “and because I didn't think you'd want your children to see you like this".

His children. Bard shot up in bed “My children, the dragon! What happened to them, are they alive?!”

“Easy, stay still: they are fine. I left Tauriel to take care of them. She was with me when we found you. They will be safe with her.” Soft hands appeared out of nowhere, trying to push him back down.

The feeling of hands touching him made Bard feel physically ill but he stood his ground and grasped the arms of the elf before him. “The dwarves destroyed the dragon, it never came.” Legolas didn't tell him that instead armies where now marching up to the mountain. Seeking a part of the treasure now that the dragon was dead.

Bard exhaled shakily, letting himself be pushed back down onto the bed. His children were safe, as were the people of laketown.

Focussing finally on himself he was almost overcome with pain, all over his body. He only now noticed that he was covered in a soft blanket, underneath it he wore nothing.

“I've waited untill you were awake to tend to your wounds. It must be done now. Some of them already look like an infection is starting in them.” Legolas told him quietly while sitting down again next to him, a bag in his hands. Opening the bag he pulled out several bandages, lotions, herbs and other items Bard didn't recognise and layed them all on the floor beside them. Then he looked at him.

“Your name.. it's Legolas?” Bard asked, his voice sounding rough, somehow it hurt to speak. “Aye, you have remembered well. And yours is Bard. Your children sent me to you.”

Bard couldn't comprehend why his children would send an elf to come to his aid. Or why he should be willing to help him for that matter. “Why would you help me?”

“Because I knew your forefather, Girion.” The elf said simply, not elaboraring further. “Now try to lie still as I tend to your wounds".

Bard did as he was told. Feeling strangely safe in the hands of this stranger. Legolas'd known Girion, his ancestor, lord of Dale. He was a legend in laketown. He inhaled softly as Legolas was spreading a numbing cream across his chest and to his neck.

“Talking will hurt for the coming days. They damaged your airway and vocal cords with the rope.” Wincing at the memory Bard didn’t say anything. He could still feel the despair that he felt. Wishing the darkness would claim him. Ashamed, he put his arm up and over his face. Hiding himself effectively.

Legolas noticed the younger man withdrawing into himself but didn't say anything of it. Instead he softly told him stories about his home, Mirkwood, while he treated every wound on his front.

Spreading herbs on the cuts that numbed the sting. A cooling ointment was put on the bruises on his sides and stomach, some of them the shape of rings. Ending with the knife wound in his leg. “I need to desinfect this one, and stitch it. It's too deep too heal on it's own.”

Bard nodded. “Just be done with it already” he said, voice quivering.

Legolas had to bite back a spitefull reply which amazed him. Bard wasn't being unjust or impatient. He was just scared and hurt.

Quickly he desinfected the wound, stitching it up but leaving it slightly open so it could drain of the infection that was indeed already there.

Bard was by now panting slightly, arm still wrapped over his face. His wrists a mess, hands still a bluish hue over them. “Bard. I need to tend to your wrists and hands as well.” Legolas spoke softly.

When Bard put his hands in front of him and away from his face he looked up directly into Legolas eyes. Legolas had to hold back a gasp himself as he felt himself get lost in eyes that betrayed a much older soul than the man lying in front of him, one full of anguish and pain. He had the insanely urge to hug the man but knew it would cause only harm, not comfort.

Bard, noticing the look on the elf's face, averted his look. “I'm sorry.” He rasped out.

Legolas let go of his wrist and gently took hold of Bard's chin, making him look at him again. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“Aye, I have. I should have been able to stop them. I..” His voice choked. He averted his gaze once more.

Legolas let his chin go. “You were outnumbered. Tauriel and I took down 8 guards, there were two others with you. They had you tied down. You couldn't have done anything differently.”

Bard felt numb. He desperately wanted to forget all about this. “Let's just get this over with.” Holding out his wrists to Legolas once more.

He flexed his hands, opening and closing his fists. They felt oddly numb and he remembered how he couldn't feel them at all after a while. “They will heal.” Legolas was done cleaning and bandaging his wrists. “I need to take a look at your back as well.”

Bard had been dreading that. Still he went and laid down on his stomach without protest, curling in on himself, head resting upon his folded arms.

“I will need to clean your back first. If you need me to stop just tell me.” Bard nodded into his arms, giving him silent consent to proceed. He was feeling extremely vulnerable with his bare back turned to someone who's literally a stranger.

Legolas set to cleaning his back gently. Washing the blood and filth away so he could see the extent of the damage done. He closed his eyes briefly at the sight before him. Dozens of angry red welts covered Bard's back. Some rather shallow but still red and inflamed, sticking out of his skin. Others deep, the whip having pierced the skin cruelly from the force of the blow. Blood still leaking out of the wounds.

Here too his skin was littered with bruises, ring and knuckle shaped. Legolas felt sick when he saw what looked to be fingernails running bloody paths through all the damage already done there. Thinking to himself he'd killed Bards tormenters too quickly he spoke, “I'm afraid some of them will leave permanent scarring no matter what I do. I'm sorry.”

He set to putting creams mixed with herbs on the worst wounds, lathering the smaller ones in an ointment he took out of the bag. All the while talking about his childhood and his life in Mirkwood.

Bard had closed his eyes tightly. The hands on his back, while gentle, made him feel as if he was back there. He could almost feel and smell the damp room.

The voice of Legolas dissapeared into the background as his mind started wandering.

_His shirt being cut off him. Fire across his back._

_Hands groping, hurting him._

The feeling of being powerless to stop any of it threatening to overwhelm him.

Legolas felt Bard tense up beneath his hands. Sweat forming on his back and shoulders.

He took his hands away and sat back on his heels. “Bard, are you okay?”

Bard couldn't speak, he only shook his head. His face obscured from view by a curtain of hair falling over his face. His breath coming out in short gasps.

_“By the gods Bard, you're tight!”_

His shoulders shook as he felt himself losing control. Tears started leaking out of his tightly closed eyes. A sob escaped his lips.

Legolas let him cry, sitting next to him, offering comfort without touching him. After a while he started to sing softly in his own tounge.

Bard was slowly calming down, the cruel voices in his head making place for a soothing one, singing in a language unfamiliar to him. The voice of an unearthly quality.

He felt exhausted, sleep pulling on him. Soon he relaxed completely on the bed.

Legolas didn't stop singing right away, he continued while he gently laid a premade mixture of herbs and leaves on Bard's back. Then he quietly moved up his body and stroked some hair out of his face, making sure he was breathing freely. He once again was struck by the resemblance with his ancestor.

“Rest now. You're safe here.”

\----------

Days went by.

Bard healed well. His bruises turned worse before starting to slowly fade. His voice less hoarse.

He was adement on healing as fast as possible. Walking around at day three as if nothing happened. He couldn't walk far yet though, and when he did it was with a limp. The muscle in his thigh needing time to heal, his body still exhausted.

Legolas and Bard got to know eachother well in the days they spend together. They sat and talked for hours about their homelands and family.

Bard learned Legolas not only had been friends with Girion, but had been involved romantically with him for many years before he passed.

That knowledge made him see Legolas in another light. It made Bard feel strangely uneasy. Above all images came into his head of times long ago, when he himself had found love in the arms of other men. He'd never differentiated between men of women, easily loving both with the same passion. But then he met his wife and he fell head over heals in love with her, never again longing for another – man or woman. After she'd passed he took on the role of both mum and dad, caring for his three children. He simply didn't have the urge to seek refuge in the arms of another.

Still being so near to the elf that once loved his ancestor made him re evaluate those urges. But the thought of being with someone intimately repulsed him now, and he was sure Legolas felt the same way. With everything that has been done to him who wouldn't be repulsed?

Every day Legolas put new bandages on his back and wrists. Every day Bard could endure the touches on his back better than the day before. He knew what was to come and it was getting easier to handle that.

It was the unexpected that he dreaded.

Legolas accidentally touching him without warning, him sneaking up on Bard without meaning to as the elf moved naturally with the grace and stealth of his kind.

Bard flinched away from those touches. Tried and often failed to stop his mind from flashing back to a place where he only knew pain and humiliation.

He hated these reactions. They made him feel weak.

He hadn't cried again after that first day. He refused to.

He felt tainted. Soiled. Above all he felt numb.

Every night he woke up panicking, not knowing where he was. His mind back there with them. Legolas would be there then, talking to him, singing him back to sleep.

This night was no different. When the trashing started Legolas went to sit by his side. Never touching him, just talking to him.

Bard’s breathing started to become more and more laboured, moans escaping his lips. “ _Don't_ ” His trashing got worse and Legolas feared he might reopen some of his wounds and hurt himself. “ _No, please don’t_ ”

For the first time that night he felt that talking or singing wouldn't be enough. He took a descision then and carefully cradled the flailing younger man to him, he wrapped his arms around him and held him loosely. All the while he continued to talk to him.

Bard tensed up, almost waking up with the realisation of someone holding him. Arms around him. In a panic he tried to get away. Pushing against the arms that held him. Eyes still tightly shut.

“Bard, it's me: Legolas. Open your eyes and look at me. I won't hurt you." Legolas told him repeatedly never loosening his grip, afraid that if he did the man would bolt and endanger himself further.

Slowly Legolas's words started to register to Bard, the fog in his mind lifting and with it he became aware of his surroundings. He could feel himself pressed up against a strong body that he recognised to be Legolas. Opening his eyes he could see the elf looking down at him, sorrow in his eyes.

“Are you with me Bard..?” Legolas asked, loosening his grip on the man in his arms slightly.

Bard could only nod, closing his eyes. It happened again, he just couldn't escape them, they were in his head and he couldn't get them out. And Legolas ofcourse had seen everything again. He felt shame washing over him, his body tensing up in the process. He felt like screaming at himself, at anyone, everything that's happened.

Legolas felt Bard trembling as his muscles tightened. He sat them both up on the bed, still holding the man.

“Hey, talk to me Bard. I'm right here. You can talk to me about anything.“ he told him softly.

“I.. don't know how. I feel so ashamed reacting like this. Weak.” Bard choked out.

“You are not weak. You've gone through a traumatic experience. And the shame you feel is theirs. Not yours. You have nothing to be ashamed of Bard.”

“Then why can't I shake this feeling of being unclean, being soiled? I feel like a fool for not fighting them as they came to get me. When I tried to fight they'd already tied me up while I was unconscious. There was no point then. I couldn't get loose.. no matter how much I tried. They had this rope around my neck and everytime I tried to resist they’d cut off my breathing untill I could feel myself passing out. All I could do and did was controlling myself. They wanted me to react but I didn't..” his voice trailed off, stumbling over his words, as if keeping silent this long was now forcing everything to come out.

“You didn't what?” Legolas prompted softly.

“I.. I didn't scream. They tried to make me when they whipped me and cut me but I didn't.”

Legolas again looked down at the man his arms, a newfound sense of respect and even pride on his face. Bard kept silent through his ordeal. Brave man. The next words however pierced through his thoughts.

“I was used to pain, growing up. It was something i knew i could handle. I.. my mother, she died when I was eight. My father, he.. he turned to booze after that. It made him angry, violent. There was noone else, so he took it out on me.” Bard quietly tried to explain himself.

“Oh Bard..” Legolas tightened his arms around him, ignoring the slight flinch it caused.

Bard continued “But even that I couldn't control in the end. They got what they wanted me from me. All of it. They took my body. The master.. he forced himself upon me. He _raped_ me. It hurt. So much. They didn't just rape my body but they took everything with it. And I screamed, I couldn't stop it however hard I tried not to.” His voice choked and he became silent once more.

By then heavy tears started falling from Bard's half closed eyes, his body shaking, trying to regain control. As he put his hands over his face, pressing the palms hard over and in his eyes Legolas could hear him whispering “And now they're dead and they are still controlling my mind, my body. I can't forget it, they tainted me. I can feel their hands on me every second of the day, this feeling of being powerless; not being able to breath or move, being robbed of my free will and lacking strength that any man should have. I can’t stop feeling this way and it's killing me inside.” He sagged against Legolas, his hands falling down from his face into his lap, breathing heavily, tears having stopped their descent; Looking worn out as he had laid his heart and mind bare.

Legolas felt his own heart shattering for the younger man falling apart in his arms. Not unlike the first day they properly met, he cupped Bards chin gently in his hand, making him look at him. “Will you allow me to try and help to make you forget?” He asked simply.

Bard stared at him, all sorts of emotions flashing over his face and in his eyes, before nodding a single time. “Aye, I will.”

Surprising Bard, Legolas unwrapped himself from around him and stood up, holding out a hand to help his companion up as well. “Then come with me.”

Bard let himself be pulled up and led outside.

Legolas grabbed his bag from the floor and called out in elfish for his horse. He put the bag and his two knives in the sadlebags before turning to Bard “We’re not going far but I fear it will take it's toll on you were we to walk. Do you need help getting up?”

Bard didn’t need help, he was raised with horses. His mother had loved her horses, they used to go hunting for hours, all three of them. When she died his father sold all but one. Bard had taken care of that one, keeping it in the stables across the river, often taking it for a ride, willing himself to just keep on riding and escape the life with his father. He was never able to do that though, his path somehow always lead him back to Laketown.

He got up on his own, even though he was feeling stiff and more clumsy than usual. Legolas helped him shift forward, then with a gracefull leap went and sat behind him, arms around Bard's waist. Holding the reigns and urging his horse forward.

Bard felt oddly at ease, leaning back slightly at the slender but strong elf behind him. They went through parts of the forest that Bard had never stepped foot in, descending steadily down the hill and into more forest, before finally entering a clearing, covered with rocks, bathing in the moon and starlight. Bard could hear water in the distance. His breathing hitched, turning around slightly to look at Legolas “What is this place?”

“It would translate to the Fountain of Youth in your language. It's a hot spring. People long ago believed the waters here held healing and juvenating powers. I thought it would do you good to at least feel clean again.” Legolas told him before dismounting his horse and helping Bard off as well, who after the ride felt stiff and sore again.

Together they walked up to the spring, finding it to be a small pond in between large rocks, the moon and stars above them mirrored on it's still surface. Legolas stood before him, waiting untill Bard's eyes found his. “Do you trust me? Will you let me help you forget?” He half expected Bard to deny him, and he wouldn't have been surprised if he did just that. But Bard continued to look at him untill he rasped out “Aye, I trust you.”

“Then get undressed and go sit over there” Legolas pointed to a shallow spot in the pond.

Bard undressed and walked into the water. It was hot to his feet and legs and when he sat down in the warm water he let out an involuntary sigh.

He could hear the elf undressing as well but hadn't yet mastered the courage to look. Only when he heard Legolas entering the pond and wading towards him he dared to look up. What he saw made his breath catch in his throat.

Legolas was standing waist deep in the water in the middle of the pond. His fair skin pale and almost glowing in the moonlight, blonde hair falling down around his fair face, kind eyes watching his reactions carefully.

He was beautiful.

Bard felt confused, he hadn't had these kind of feelings in years. Not after his wife had died.

Meeting the kind eyes he felt ashamed for letting himself go there in his mind. Aye, the elf was beautiful but he was just being kind. Legolas would never be with him, as soiled as he was. And he was only a man, he could never compete with the beauty and grace that came naturally to all elves. Still a small voice in the back of his head reminded him of Girion, his very ancestor that Legolas had lain with. A man, like him. And what exactly was the elf proposing to him this night?

“Come here” He heard Legolas say, holding out his hand to him.

Bard swallowed hard as he took hold of his hand and went to stand before Legolas. He was feeling very self conscious all of a sudden, with the perfect, almost magical creature looking at him.

He was being led deeper into the pond untill the water was touching his shoulders. Legolas held up a vial in his hand. “Will you turn around and let me wash your hair?”

Bard turned around without responding, giving Legolas silent consent. He felt the warm water starting to relax his muscles. It felt good.

“Put your head under water for me.” Legolas instructed, and Bard did so. Breathing deeply before letting himself sink under water; it was heavenly – warm, quiet and a peacefullness unlike anything else. He felt strong hands pulling his head out of the water and looked over his shoulder into Legolas’s eyes, his expression unreadable but a glint of amusement in his eyes. “I said put your head under water, not drown yourself.”

“I wasn't drowning, I'm a laketowner; I grew up with water all around me.” Bard huffed, cheeks red.

Legolas laughed softly and pushed his head facing forward again.

Bard could hear Legolas opening the vial and then felt a cool liquid running through his hair. Then Legolas ran his hands over his hair and gathered it in his neck. Lathering all of his hair in the cool soapy substance before massaging all of it into his hair and head.

Bard was in heaven. He felt the skilled hands massaging the top and back of his head untill his eyes drooped, and he felt himself relaxing completely. He was being pulled back in a lying position and didn't protest it.

Hands still massaging, rinsing the soap in the warm water. Then moving towards his temples, skilled fingers massaging through layers of stress there, before moving to his brows and forehead. The hands massaged and stroked lightly all over his face, coming to his neck, still slightly sore from where the rope burned him. They didn't stop though, skimming the sensitive area before dropping below and to the back of his neck. Massaging the tension away.

Bard only then noticed Legolas was singing softly in elfish. Once again he felt captivated by the mystical voice and tune of the song.

The hands never stopped moving; kneading his flesh and sore muscles. Moving from his neck to his shoulders, then to his arms. When they went up his arms again they hestitated.

Bard felt it and looked up, shocked at how close Legolas was, face above his own seemingly hestitant to proceed.

He stood up and turned around facing Legolas.

“I’m afraid to hurt you if I go any lower. Although you've recovered well your back is still inflamed and a movement too harsh will make some of the scars start bleeding again.” Legolas hestitated, “You can wash yourself now, I can go if you want to.”

“ _Hannon-le_ Legolas. I’ve never thanked you for getting me out of there, for putting me back together. Without you I'd be dead or worse, still with them. You saved my life, even though I had already given up on mine.”

“Don't say that Bard, you are not a quitter, with all what you've..”

“No" Bard interrupted him “I'm not, I could've handled the beatings but not..” He hestitated briefly. “When they had sex with me like that I wanted it to end. I would've given everything for it to end right there, I welcomed the darkness. And then you came..”

“What they did to you had nothing to do with sex. They only sought ways to hold power over you. It wasn't anything sexual, just another way for them to inflict pain.” Legolas told him fiercely, taking a step forward, almost touching front to front.

Bard felt his knees almost buckle with the look Legolas gave him, he saw anger and pain reflected on his face but there was more: need, longing? “Will you hold true to your word and make me forget them..?” Bard whispered, eyes closing in fear of the rejection he was sure was to come.

It was all Legolas needed to close the distance between them, gently pressing their lips together.

He felt Bard stiffening briefly against him before hands snuck up and pulled him into an embrace. He made sure his own hands didn't wander, not wanting to cause the man pain of any sorts, bringing them up to gently cup Bards face.

Bard felt more alive than ever before, he was being kissed by the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes upon. Moaning he deepened the kiss, opening his mouth, tounges exploring. He pressed himself flush against Legolas and felt that the elf was as excited as he was, his half hard cock pressing up against his hipbone. He could feel himself hardening fast and wanted more, his hands started wandering on their own accord.

Tracing down a smooth back, stomach. Then Legolas pulled back, hands on his wrists – stopping them from travelling further on his body.

Dazed and confused Bard withdrew his hands, stepping back “I..I'm sorry, you don't want me. I understand.”

He started to turn away when Legolas grabbed him and pulled him back into his embrace. “I do want you, Bard.” Legolas’s forehead touching his, both panting slightly. “I have wanted you ever since we met.” The elf admitted sheepishly. “You were just going a bit too fast.”

Taking control the elf pushed Bard backwards untill he was pressed against a rock in the more shallow end of the pond. Legolas pushed further, lifting him to sit on the rock, standing in between his legs.

Then he kissed him again, gently this time. Legolas let his hands wander carefully over his arms, then down his chest. His kisses slowly moving down his lips to his jaw, before trailing down to his neck. Nibbling, licking a path from his neck to his nipple he could hear Bard moaning above him, hands on his shoulders and in his hair. Trailing lower still he kissed every scar he encountered.

He lowered himself on his knees in the water and kissed Bard’s toned stomach slowly, kissing the scar crossing from side to side. Lingering on his belly button before dipping down into the ‘V' leading towards his swollen cock. Kissing and licking there made Bard gasp out loud, his cock jumping slightly.

Legolas admired it briefly as it proudly stood out between his legs. He kissed the head, circling his tounge lazily around it, tasting the precum gathering at the slith there. A pure sweet taste, a taste that was Bard.

He looked up at the man above him and gasped at the sight. Bard had leaned back on his elbows, head thrown back, his freshly washed hair falling in loose wet curls down onto his back, chest heaving, small moans escaping his lips. Sweat or water lined his forehead and chest, making it look as if he was shimmering in the moonlight. He truly was a beautiful sight to see, even with the fresh scars that stood out on his chest and belly.

Bard looked at him then, need and longing all over his face and Legolas decided to take pity on him.

He looked back down again and swiftly took Bards leaking cock in his mouth, sucking in earnest, tounge swirling around it. He tried to get as much of Bard inside his mouth as he could, swallowing as the head of his cock hit the back of throat.

Bard was moaning constantly now, one hand in his hair, hips unconsciously thrusting up into the mouth swallowing him.

Legolas felt more precum on his tounge and knew Bard was close. In a swift move he swallowed him to the hilt, one hand moving in between his legs, gently fondling his balls.

Suddenly Legolas felt him tense, the hand in his hair tightening. With a shout Bard came hard, bursts of semen shooting down his throat. He swallowed it all.

Before long hands were pulling him up and he was pulled into a kiss by Bard, who was quivering against him.

Bard gasped against his mouth “I want you, Legolas. Please make me forget all of it. I want only to remember you..”

“Are you sure Bard? I can't promise I won’t hurt you. You don't have to do this because of me, you know.” He whispered softly, and it was true. Even though he was by now aching to be touched himself he would stop without hestitation if the man asked him to.

“I am sure, Legolas. I need you. You could never hurt me like they did.. "

Legolas groaned into Bards mouth, his need for the beautiful man before him almost overwhelming him. Deepening the kiss before pulling away entirely and pulling the man to his feet. “Not here.”

He led him out of the water and quickly went over to his horse, grabbing a couple of blankets and a small bottle from the saddlebags. One he threw at Bard the others he spread out on the ground next to a tree.

He motioned for Bard to sit and sat down in front of him, kissing him deeply again. Bard was moaning into his mouth before long, his cock already hardening. His hands wandering over Legolas’s stomach before stroking him, thumb pressing over the head of his cock. Legolas let out a hiss, his need fuelling the kiss.

“Lie down on your stomach” he told him huskily.

Bard did so and Legolas winced slightly at the scars standing out of his otherwise beautiful skin.

He gently covered Bard with his own body, kissing him on the back of his neck and shoulders.

He oiled up his hands and gently massaged Bard's backside, urging his legs slightly apart. Seeking what's hidden between his globes. Finding the puckered entrance he rubbed against it gently, while his other hand reached further down between his legs and took hold of Bard's cock. “Tell me to stop and I will” Legolas murmered before pushing his wisefinger gently forward into his lovers body.

Bard chocked out a small cry. He could feel the digit pushing into him, moving around slowly. Images came to his mind unwillingly and he tensed up hard, panting as he tried to stay in the present.

“It's me Bard, Legolas. Do you wish for me to stop?” Legolas had stilled his actions while he waited for Bard to recollect himself.

“No, don't stop. I need this, please..” Bard could hear the neediness in his voice but didn't care, it had taken his mind of other things. He was still with Legolas.

Who had starting moving again, adding another finger which extracted a sharp hiss from Bard. The fingers pushed all the way in, stretching him, a slight burn to it. He could feel his mind starting to slip again when he felt Legolas bending his fingers, and fireworks exploded behind his eyes as he shouted out into his arms below him. “Oh god, Legolas. Please, don't stop..”

He was moaning uncontrollably now, fingers moving inside him, almost constantly hitting a spot that made him cry out and tremble with pleasure. Two fingers became three and still he was okay, he held it together. In fact, he _wanted more_.

When Legolas noticed Bard was relaxing into his touch and even started pressing up to meet him he decided he was ready. Pulling out his fingers he put extra oil on his now painfully erect cock.

As he made to position himself behind Bard he noticed him tensing up again, back rigid, hands turning to fists. He made a quick decision; stroking the hair from Bards face he whispered “Come, not like this.”

He sat back against the tree and motioned for Bard to come to him. “I can't take you like that, I want for you to be able to see me. Ride me Bard.”

Bard crawled up to him and straddled his lap, kissing Legolas while positioning himself over his hard cock. Foreheads touching he swallowed nervously as he lowered himself.

He could feel the head stretching him open, burning as he let his hips sink slowly. Again he could feel his mind slipping and he closed his eyes, tensing up around Legolas.

“Hey, Bard I'm here. Open your eyes, look at me.” Legolas had to use all of his willpower to remain still. His body screamed for movement inside the tight body before him. But he knew it would scar Bard even further, and he wanted him to feel pleasure, not pain.

“Bard, come on beautiful, look at me.” Bard looked at him then, recognition in his eyes. Sweat on his forehead.

They kissed again. Bard initiating, desperately deepening the kiss; trying to stay in the present. He refused to go back there, back with _them_.

Finally he moved further down untill he sat down, Legolas buried to the hilt inside him. He stayed like that for what seemed a long time, adjusting, trembling all over his body. Then he started to move, hips rising up slightly before sinking down again, focussing on what he was doing, his lips pressed tightly together – no sound escaping.

Legolas put his hands on his hips, steadying him, guiding him, before thrusting up at a certain angle – hitting a spot deep inside Bard that send sparks flying all through his body.

Bard threw his head back and cried out, his movements now more urgent than before, his cock between them leaking precum onto legolas’s belly.

Legolas grabbed his face and started kissing him again, never pausing his movements inside Bard; making the man moan into his mouth.

The sounds he made were almost too much for Legolas, feeling tension building up in his loins. He slowed down with great effort, his upward thrusts long and deep, trying to hit the spot that made Bard cry out each and every time.

“Please.. I need..I..Legolas..” Bard choked out a string of incoherent words, moaning and gasping in between them. His hands holding Legolas shoulders and back in a death grip, as if he was holding on for dear life.

Legolas felt his own orgasm building again and wasn't entirely sure he could slow himself down this time. His hands reached in between them, grabbing hold of Bard's cock, stroking in time with the thrusts inside him.

Bard moved against him hard, crying out before kissing Legolas feverishly, groaning inside his mouth. His entire body shaking as he contracted around Legolas, his orgasm hitting him hard.

Legolas felt the wetness between their bodies, Bards body tightening around him and he chocked back a cry; thrusting one last time and spilling his seed deep in the body above him.

They sat like that for a while, locked in an embrace, both breathing hard. Bard had put his head on Legolas ‘s shoulder, his body shaking.

“Hey..” Legolas softly said, while stroking hair out of Bards face, trying to see if he was okay.

Bard sat up, still trembling, and lifted his head to look at Legolas. A single tear ran down his cheek. “Thank you” he said, voice strained. “I didn't think I'd ever feel like this again.”

Legolas put his fingers to Bards face and gently wiped the tear away before pulling him to him again, his arms resting lightly on his back, hands coming up to settle on his neck and in his hair. “I need to thank you. For trusting me enough to do this.”

“We need to move a bit, this tree in my back is starting to become uncomfortable.” Legolas said, regret in his voice.

Bard sat up at that and pulled himself up and off of Legolas, wincing slightly at the loss of the cock that was still buried inside him. He flopped down on his stomach on the blanket, his body still shivering.

Quickly Legolas gathered the other blankets and covered Bard with them, then he laid down beside him.

Facing eachother Legolas could see Bard was trying to keep himself from falling asleep. Eyes fluthering shut every couple of seconds. The tremors in his body had finally eased and his breathing had returned to normal again.

Legolas pulled him to his chest, a hand gently stroking through Bards hair.

That night Bard slept deeply beneath the star filled sky. For the first time since his ordeal he didn't have any dreams, nor did he wake up panicking.

Legolas watched him the whole night, noticing the peace in Bards face and the absence of tension in his muscles that hadn't been there before. “Rest now, brave one. Heal. I've found you, and for as long as you'll have me, I'm not going anywhere.”


	3. Bard the bowman: Thunder in the distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bard awakes to the sounds of war and finds out Legolas hasn't been completely honest with him. They have to race against time to save the ones they love.  
> Warning: Death of a non-major character. No real triggers in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conversation in Elfish in Italics

Thunder in the distance.

 

Bard woke up to an unfamiliar sound. A deep rumble in the distance. It wasn’t thunder, for the sky above him was clear blue with not a cloud in sight.

For a moment Bard felt disorientated as he struggled to remember where he was and why he had woken up outside, alone.

Then it all came back: Legolas standing in the middle of the pond motioning for Bard to join him, their first kisses shared in the moonlight. Legolas holding him after they made love.

Bard smiled at the memories and reached out for the elf beside him. Nothing. He sat up, wincing slightly at a small burn in his lower back, and was just about to call out for him when he noticed Legolas at the edge of the cliff, standing on a branch in the middle of a high tree, peering down to the valley below.

When Bard stood up and started to walk towards Legolas the elf turned his head and smiled down at him. With an elegant leap he jumped out of the tree and landed in front of him. “Hey, you finally decided to join me in the land of the awake?” Legolas laughed and carefully pulled Bard into a hug.

Bard chuckled as well as he returned the hug “You wore me out I guess..” He replied sheepishly. “I never sleep in”.

Legolas cradled his face between his hands and kissed him briefly on the lips. “You needed it, you’re still healing and the waters here have that effect. You could go and get a quick wash before we return”.

Legolas was doing his best to appear normal and relaxed but Bard could see he was nervous, and trying to get away from there fast. Bard closed his own hands over Legolas’s still cupping his face, and pulled them away gently.

“Legolas, what’s wrong?”

The elf’s eyes clouded over, but not before Bard saw the concern spark in the deep blue eyes. “Nothing, let’s just get ba..”

He was interrupted by the sound of a horn, coming from deep down in the valley. The sound rising up to where they were standing, hidden from view in the forest high up the mountain.

Bard let Legolas go and before the elf could react he had taken three big strides to the tree where Legolas had sat in when he woke up. He pushed the branches aside to look down and what he saw made his heart skip a beat in his chest.

An army of orcs was marching through the valley, their eyes fixed on the mountain in the distance.

Alarmed he turned back to Legolas. Who stood back and watched him with a grim expression on his face. “I’m sorry, I had hoped we had more time..”

Bard stood motionless before him. “You knew..?” he whispered. “Alas, yes.. You needed time to heal, I wanted to give you as much of a break from this as possible.” Legolas slowly approached him, a pained look on his face.

Bard turned away from him, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He started to walk back over to where the horse stood. “I need to go back to my kids now. I need to know whether they’re all right.”

Legolas just nodded and together they rode in silence back to Dale from where they crisscrossed down to Laketown.

\-----------

 

“Da!!” Bard didn’t even make it through the door when he was tackled by both of his daughters, each of them throwing themselves at their father whilst screaming and crying in joy. “Oh Da! You’re back, you’re back!”

Bard let out of a soft gasp of pain when their arms went around his torso to grip onto his back, but didn’t show any other signs of them hurting him. He bearhugged both of his daughters, his own heart swelling with joy, to find them unharmed and looking well fed. “Aye, I’m back”. He whispered.

He then noticed his eldest, his son Bain, who had remained back as always. His eyes were searching his father’s face, undoubtedly looking for any signs of trauma. The look in his eyes told Bard that he hadn’t missed his gasp of pain, unlike the girls.

As he released the girls and went over to Bain he tried not to limp, to not make things worse. But the child noticed it all and his hug was gentle. “Welcome back, Da.” Bains eyes watered but he wiped swiftly at them with his sleeves. “Please never scare us like that again.”

Bard bent down to eyelevel, even though he didn’t really need to anymore – Bain had grown to just a heads length difference from him in the last couple of months. “I won’t. I’ll never scare you or leave you guys again.”

As he released his son he saw the elf standing in the background, Tauriel as he remembered correctly. She had kept his kids safe when he was away.

He went over to her and took her hands in his own “Thank you, no words are enough for the woman who’s looked after my kids when I couldn’t”.

Tauriel looked at him with a gleam in her eyes “No need to thank me Bard, I’ve had loads of fun with them. Thank you for looking after Legolas as well”. She winked and let go of his hands, turning around to hug Legolas and welcome him back.

Bard coughed “Guys, this is a .. friend of mine, Legolas. Please welcome him into our home”.

He wasn’t ready for the kids to know about him and Legolas, he didn’t even know where it would go, if anywhere.

\---------

 

As night fell he tucked all the kids in bed and left them with Legolas and Tauriel to go for a walk. He desperately needed to clear his head, having felt on edge all day.

He couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom: every time when he closed his eyes he saw the orcs not so far away, marching to war.

He kept walking further and further into Laketown, his mind a jumble. Verging on the brink of a breakdown: his children needed to get out of here. They were right in the path of war, of armies marching up to the mountain. He guessed the only thing keeping the town safe was them being surrounded by water.

He ended his walk on the other side of town, in the part closest to the mountain. There he sat down heavily while cursing the mountain, the dwarfs, the gold and everything else inside it.

He barely noticed Legolas sitting down next to him, though it didn’t surprise him. “Tell me what happened when I was out, and what is happening now.” He demanded through gritted teeth, still angry at the elf for keeping him in the dark.

Legolas looked at him briefly, then made himself comfortable against the house they were sitting at while he stared ahead over the water. “The dwarfs destroyed the dragon. Just outside the mountain. Many who kept close watch on them witnessed it. The ravens of Ereborn returned that same day and the king under the mountain has claimed his throne once again. They’ve buried themselves inside, no one had seen them since the dragon went down. Many now seek part of the treasure inside that mountain, with the dragon gone. Armies march upon the mountain. My kin too..” He hesitated. “The dwarfs should never have reached their home in the first place, the enemy tried to stop them. They sent an orc after Thorin and his kin, but they failed to stop them. I..the night I found you I fought some of them off at your house.” Upon seeing Bards horrified gaze he added hastily “We killed them, Tauriel and me. I followed their leader but couldn’t stop him from fleeing ashore. That’s when I returned to Tauriel and heard of your unfortune from your children.”

Bard exhaled shakily. They’ve been here. In his house. He stood up to confront Legolas but when he  looked down at the elf’s defeated posture with his proud head hanging down, that’s when he understood.. Legolas hadn’t said anything to protect him, to allow him to heal. He foresaw that if Bard knew the truth he would stop at nothing to protect his kids, not even if it cost him his health or his life.

He sighed deeply and pulled Legolas up to stand before him. “I understand why you didn’t tell me.” Bard pulled Legolas into a hug and whispered in his neck “Please, don’t ever keep me in the dark again. Not even to protect me”.

He felt Legolas responding to the hug, his entire posture relaxing, hands coming up to rest on his back lightly “I won’t, I’m sorry. I did what I thought was best”. Legolas pulled back to look at him, a sad smirk around his lips “Even someone as old as I am can make mistakes”.

Bard pulled him closer to him. Finding his mouth and kissing Legolas gently. Legolas responded immediately, returning the kiss, deepening it. Their tongues slowly fighting for dominance while Bard took control and pushed Legolas back against the house, never stopping the kiss.  
Legolas moaned into his mouth as Bard deepened the kiss even more, while slipping a knee between Legolas legs and rubbing their hips slowly together.

It was at that moment that the screaming started. Followed by clangs of metal and war cries far back in Laketown.

They pulled apart abruptly, pushing away from the house they were standing against.

Legolas pulled both his knifes out in a fluent move, his eyes darting back and forth. Searching for any threat, assessing the danger they were in.

Far away the cries still echoed over the water, followed along by another sound. Bard spun around, the town was on fire! And it was coming from the direction where he left Tauriel with his kids.

He didn’t even realise he was running until he was stopped by Legolas, who appeared before him and pushed him back. “Let me go Legolas! I need to get to them!”

“I know, but can you fight? I can go Bard..” Legolas started arguing. “No!” Bard interrupted, ”I can fight, these are my children, this is my town, and my people. I need to fight for them.”

Legolas looked at him for a moment before handing Bard one of his long knives. “Alright, let’s go get them”, he kissed Bard swiftly on the lips before setting off again towards the cries and fire.

 

Orcs. They were everywhere. Setting houses on fire and killing everyone they encountered. Bard and Legolas ran straight into them, slashing away at every Orc that was unfortunate enough to cross their path. Legolas had his skill and years of training in combat, for Bard it was rage and despair that drove him onwards.

Bard barely ducked out of the way of a spear being thrown from somewhere above him, while cutting of the head of the orc he was fighting. Legolas leapt onto the balcony above them, swiftly making sure no orc above them lived to endanger his lover anymore.

Everywhere people were fighting alongside them, wielding spears or makeshift weapons of their own. Somewhere a woman was shrieking in the distance, pleading with an unseen attacker.

Bard had his hands full: two huge orcs were just about to kill two townsmen who both lost their weapons in the fight. He charged and killed the first in one move, then spun around to kill the other but it stepped aside and he barely missed him. Thrown off balance he saw the orc raise it’s own sword and he made an attempt to defend himself; wielding his long knife to fend of the blow. He lost his footing and landed heavily on his back from the force of the attack, the orc following suit and ending up on top of him. Bard cried out, pain shooting through his back and body. His hand with the knife was trapped underneath the orcs leg and he tried to knock the orc off of him, hitting him with his other fist anywhere he could reach. It felt like punching a stone wall. The orc raised his sword for the final blow and Bard closed his eyes.

It never came. The townsmen around him pulled the orc off him and started hacking and slashing at it with their own knives. One of the men, a guy Bard knew was called Ben, offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet. “Bard, are you okay?” “Aye thanks, that was a bit too close for comfort..” Bard panted.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Legolas fighting 4 orcs at once, the agility and speed at which he moved nothing close to being human. Soon they lay slain at his feet as well.

Legolas’s eyes found his, concern sparkling in them having heard Bard cry out but being unable to get to him fast enough. Bard tried telling him with his own eyes that he was okay, that they should be moving on.

When they finally got close to the house where he lived with his kids his heart skipped a beat and the feeling of despair almost overwhelmed him. Everywhere he looked houses were on fire, thick smoke hung in the streets. A gust of wind blew some of the smoke away and his own house came into view, smoke pouring out of every window, fire rising up through the roof.

“No!!” Bard screamed and jolted forward. He made it a few steps towards the burning houses before he was pulled back into a strong body, arms encircling his shoulders, keeping him back as he fought to move towards the fire. “Let me go!” He roared.

“It’s too late” Legolas’s voice sounds pained, speaking directly into his ear over his shoulder. “Bard, it’s too late, there’s nothing you can do here”.

Bard knew deep down he was right but still he sobbed “Please, my children, let me go..!” Silent tears ran over his cheeks as he sagged into Legolas, giving up to try to move forward. “Please” He whispered again, a broken man watching his house and everything he loved burn to the ground.

A lone orc appeared out of nowhere, running straight by them and in a rage Bard spun out of Legolas’s arms and followed the orc into an alleyway. He tackled the foul being halfway and stuck the knife deep his stomach. The creature howled in pain, trying to fight him off but Bard’s rage made him stronger and he threw punch after punch at the face of the being underneath him. Pounding all of his rage and sorrow into the orc until he stopped moving, even then he continued until he felt himself being pulled away and pulled into an embrace.

He hang on for dear life, crying out his grief which felt as if his heart was being torn out. Vaguely he heard Legolas trying to comfort him, but the words didn’t register.

“..Da?” Bard’s head shot up. From behind rubble in the back of the alley his son appeared, bleeding from a cut above his eye but otherwise appearing unharmed. “Bain? Bain!” Bard cried out as he left the embrace in which he stood and ran towards his only son engulfing him in a hug that almost threw the boy of his feet. “Bain you’re here, you’re okay!” Tears of pure joy to hold his child which he presumed dead a few moments earlier ran down Bard’s face.

Holding him at arm’s length he asked a question to which he dreaded the answer “Bain, where are your sisters?”

The child’s face darkened “Come, follow me”. He lead both Bard and Legolas through the alley before entering a burnt down house. “In here”. Inside was nothing but the blackened remains of a family home. Bain proceeded to lead them through the house, before opening a door in the back and stepping aside to let them through.

Bard heard Legolas gasp and push past him. Inside the room on the floor was Tauriel, her sword in her hand which was blackened with orc blood. Sigrid was leaning over her and when she moved to look at the newcomers in the doorway Bard saw what had startled Legolas. The front of Tauriel’s tunic was stained red, and forming beneath her on the floor was a pool of blood.

Sigrid was pressing a cloth tightly to her stomach, her hands and the cloth were covered in blood as well. Her eyes despairing.

“ _Tauriel, what happened_?” Legolas knelt by Tauriel and lifted her head into his lap. Her eyes were unfocussed as she looked up at him. _“..I failed you Mellon-nin_ ” Her eyes closed briefly, a lone tear fell down one of her cheeks. “ _They took her.. They took the child. I couldn’t stop them._ ” She looked over at Bard, sorrow all over her beautiful features. “I’m so sorry.. I couldn’t stop them. They took her..”

Bard knelt down by Tauriel as well. Taking the sword from her, holding her hand instead. “Where did they take her? Do you know why?” More tears fell down her face as she looked back up at Legolas. “Because of you Legolas. I heard them say.. they took her.. because of you. He wants.. you.”

Her eyes closed as her breathing grew erratic. Legolas turned panicked eyes onto Bard before looking at Tauriel again, shaking her softly _“Tauriel, don’t close your eyes, you’ll be alright. Please Tauriel stay with me”._

Her eyes fluttered open and she breathed “ _I’m dying Legolas, the halls of Mandos are calling for me.. I can hear them_.” Legolas knew it was true, he’d seen the wound when he knelt down, knew it was poisoned from experience. The wound alone was so severe it would kill her, the poison made sure it did. Tears were falling down his own face now as he whispered “ _You did well here Tauriel. You’ve kept two children alive and safe. You’ve done all you could and more.”_

She smiled up at him and put her hand to his face. “ _Hannon le mellon-nin_ ” Her voice barely more than a whisper. Then her eyes closed once more and her body went limp in his arms, her hand falling from his face to the floor.

“ _Be at peace, Tauriel”._ Legolas whispered as he hugged her body to his, a sob escaping his lips, more tears cascading down his beautiful face.

Bard let him grieve, deeply saddened himself to see a being that should live forever die in front of him, while trying to protect his children. Then he stood up and pulled Legolas up and into a hug. When he pulled away Legolas had a guarded look over him, the tears were gone and his eyes unreadable. “I’m so sorry”. Bard whispered.

Legolas nodded his head once and turned away to the door “We need to go. We cannot linger here”.

Bard looked at Legolas “What was she talking about, Legolas? Please tell me who took Tilda?” Legolas had grown pale and swallowed once before answering in a soft voice “Bolg of the North. Son of Azog the defiler, second in command of his troops”.

“He was the orc sent to kill the dwarfs. He was here in Laketown the last time.” Legolas stared at a point in the distance over Bard’s shoulder. “I fought him, killed a couple of the orcs he had with him. I wasn’t strong enough to end his life but I hurt him and I don’t think he liked that he couldn’t kill me”.

He looked at Bard again “I fear it is revenge he wants. He knows I’ll come for the girl. I’ve defended her and you once before”.

Bard felt his blood run cold and his hair stand on end. “So, he holds her until you follow him”. “Yes, she will live until he has me.. or until I kill him.”

Bard couldn’t respond, he didn’t know how to. His daughter for Legolas.

“Let’s go”.  The elf disappeared around the corner, wielding the sword that had belonged to Tauriel in his right hand, his knife in the left.

“Legolas!” Bard followed him, his children right behind him. “What about my people? We need to gather everyone alive and get them out of here”.

“But Da.. where will we go?” Sigrid, who held her own bravely when Tauriel was dying, looked as if she was about to collapse.

“We will take them to my father”. It was Legolas that spoke, his eyes never leaving the mountain across the river. “Spread the word, we must go now, we cannot lose any more time”.

\---------------------------------

 

“Again, no! I will not risk any Elfish lives on a suicide mission, you have my answer Legolas!” King Tranduil turned on the spot and left the tent. His handsome face contorted in anger.

Legolas looked at Bard, his eyes still devoid of any emotion, his face blank. “Well, you’ve met my father”.

Bard looked at him wearily “I need to go. I need to try and get her back – we now know where they’ve taken her. I need to go there”.

“I know you do. But not now.” Legolas crossed the room and went to stand in front of him “You need to rest for a bit, you haven’t slept in more than a day. You won’t be able to help anyone in the state you’re in”. Bard started to protest but Legolas interrupted him “She’s alive. He’s waiting for me”.

“How can you be sure, my child is there all alone, with them”. Bard choked on his breath, his despair almost consuming him. He felt Legolas lead him to a bed behind a curtain and without much thought he lay down on it, the Elf laying down as well, curling himself in around him. Stroking his hair. “Sleep now Bard, just a few hours. We’ll leave when you’re awake”. Instantly he could feel his whole body ache, he was so tired. He couldn’t keep his eyes open, the lids felt so heavy. Then Legolas started singing again and Bard knew no more.

 

_He was standing a room, tied to the ceiling._

_Whiplashes on his back._

_Hands touching him._

_Someone screaming._

_Not him._

_He opened his eyes. Legolas was tied in front of him, shirtless, his body bruised all over. Blood was running over the side of his face. He was the one screaming, trying to get to Bard but failing in getting loose._

 

“Legolas!” Bard awoke, panting for air. The vision still all too clear in his mind, his lover's bloodied and bruised body in front of him not something he’d easily forget.

He reached for him, desperate to pull him to him, hold him but found the bed was empty. Legolas was nowhere to be seen.

A sick feeling started settling in his gut as he stood up and got dressed in no time. Making sure he strapped on his bow and arrows, and the sword he was given the day before as a gift from the Elves.

Outside two guards stood watch and Bard wasted no time in asking what he needed to know. “How long? How long ago did he leave, which path did he take? Tell me, please!”

“Half an hour ago sir, the prince left on his horse fully armoured”. The guard pointed north, uphill. Bard felt relieve wash over him, he could still make it. 

Making a quick decision he ran down to the stables and got the very first horse he encountered out. His children would remain here, they would be safe with the elves.

He didn’t know Bain was watching him leave from above in the camp. A lone figure that looked on as his father rode in a haste uphill, before rounding a corner and disappearing from sight.

 -----------

 

Bard rode as he never rode a horse before, spurring it on, giving it free a reign to allow it to find it’s own way up the hill. When the terrain evened out and the road became less obvious he slowed down a bit. Everywhere around him were steep slopes, leading up the mountains around him, caves here and there seemingly carved out in them, or maybe they had formed naturally.

No sign anywhere of the elf he so desperately was trying to find.

The road now went uphill again, going round and round as he turned corner after corner, rocks laying scattered in the sand. His horse kept a slow pace now to find its way safely around.

As they turned a corner he halted his horse in shock. Another horse was standing in the middle of the path – its rider nowhere to be seen. In a reflex Bard jumped off his horse behind a rock. His bow in his hand within seconds, an arrow laid on the string. Every muscle tense in anticipation.

“You’d be dead if I was any other but me”. A voice spoke from directly above where he stood. Legolas was standing on a ridge, high up the cliff – his own bow drawn, the arrow held loosely on the string, not pointed at him.

“Gods, Legolas..” Bard felt relieve flood him and the tension in his muscles released, as he dropped his bow on the floor, waiting for the elf to come down.

It took the elf a couple of graceful leaps before he stood before him, his own bow put away on his back. “You shouldn’t have come Bard”. Bard didn’t answer him, he pulled the elf towards him and kissed him deeply, all of his fear and sorrow laid in the kiss. Legolas was only surprised for a second, before returning the kiss, pushing Bard back gently until they were leaning against the rock. They broke apart, foreheads touching “I thought I’d lost you”. Bard softly confessed. “I dreamt I was back there, with them. But you were there as well, tied up, beaten. And then I woke up and you were gone.. You said we’d be in this together, you don’t need to go in alone”. Legolas’s eyes softened as his arms tightened around him.

“I’m here, you haven’t lost me Bard”. They kissed again, more desperately now. Bard broke the kiss and cupped Legolas’s face in his hands “Legolas, I think I’m falling in love with you” his voice wavered, “I..I’m sorry, I don’t know how to stop feeling like this. I know I’m a mere human and you’re an elf. Gods, you’re a prince! Your father would never allow..”

Legolas silenced him with another kiss before breaking apart again “My father has nothing to do with whom I love. He knows I have a particular taste when it comes to my partners.”

Bard was stunned “Love? You mean..?” Legolas smiled bitterly, his eyes still guarded “Yes Bard, I love you. I love everything about you, your strength, your kind heart, the love you have for your children, your people..” Legolas was half shocked when Bard turned them around and pushed him against the rock, bodies flush against each other, kissing again feverishly. Hands roaming everywhere, trying to undue the Elf’s tunic, kissing his cheek, the corners of his mouth.

“Please, Legolas I need you”. The elf nodded against his mouth, before pushing him away and grabbing his saddlebag. “In here, follow me” and he lead the way into a nearby cave.

They spread out a couple of blankets on the floor before kissing again, Legolas now in the lead of removing Bard’s clothing in a haste. Bard felt himself being pushed back down on the blanket, Legolas on top of him, still kissing passionately while the elf removed his own clothing – helped by Bard.

The elf stopped his assault and looked down at gorgeous man beneath him, love in his eyes, a smile on his lips.

He then lowered himself and tenderly kissed Bard’s chest, his tongue lapping at every bit of skin he encountered. Circling around his nipples before gently pulling them in his mouth, gently sucking on them, making Bard gasp and moan underneath him.

He admired the toned stomach briefly before kissing along every muscle and every scar there. He was pleased to see the scars on his stomach were already fading, they wouldn’t leave any big lasting scars.

Bard moaned again as he lapped lower still, his tongue finding the fine hairs on his pubic bone. “Legolas, please..” Legolas looked up to see his lover staring at him, leaning up on his arms, eyes desperate, every muscle tense.

He decided to take pity on him and lifted the oil from the saddle bag, opening it and pouring some in his hand. He then looked at Bard again “I love you Bard” before swallowing his cock in one move. Bard fell back onto his back, moaning brokenly and gasping for breath, trying to stifle any sound that came out of his mouth.

Then Legolas pulled his thighs apart and mentally he braced himself for what he knew was about to come, what he desired so. The first digit that pushed inside him was fine, it heightened the pleasure that he already experienced with Legolas going down on him.

When Legolas inserted a second finger he unwillingly tensed up. His mind again a mess, going back to another time where it wasn’t about pleasure and love. “Bard” Through the fog he could hear his lover talking to him, reassuring him “Open your eyes – I’m here”.

Bard opened his eyes and looked at the elf, his elf!, who looked down at him, nothing but love in his eyes. Then his world erupted in pure pleasure when Legolas crooked his fingers and hit _that_ spot again. Bard cried out once before his arm came up to stifle the sounds coming from his mouth.

Two fingers turned to three and when Legolas swallowed him to the hilt again and again he moaned brokenly against the arm over his face. “Please, Legolas I’m gonna.. Please not like this, I need you inside me”. He could’ve thought it, whispered it or screamed it. He didn’t know and frankly didn’t care. His need for the elf all consuming, pulling him up and over his body as he pleaded with him.

“Shh..I’ve got you, relax Bard”. Legolas kissed him again, while he gently spread his legs with his knee and hands. Bard could feel him oiling up his cock before lining up against him. In pure need he pushed up, impaling himself on Legolas’s cock. Gasping as he was stretched too much all at once. He could hear the elf cry out once in shock. He feared his mind would slip and pulled the elf towards him, begging to be kissed while Legolas slowly sank deeper. “Easy Melethron. I’m here”. He kissed Bard and all the while he kept pushing his cock deeper into the tight and willing body beneath him.

When he bottomed out he paused, looking down at Bard. Who in turn looked up, eyes wide and thrusting, his slightly swollen lips parted as he tried to breathe .

He started moving inside of Bard, each time a bit further out before sliding in deeply. On the third thrust he aimed his thrust upwards and Bard cried out again, the sound muffled by his hand that had come up. Every sense of his being now focussed on making Bard cry out again he started thrusting in earnest, his hands pushing Bard’s legs further up for easier access as he kept trying to reach the spot that made Bard go mad with desire.

Bard felt himself falling apart, not being able to keep silent anymore he let his hands fall down next to him, desperately trying to hold on to something before they settled on Legolas’s legs and hips. He could slowly but steadily feel his orgasm build as Legolas hit that spot again and again.

“Oh gods, Legolas…don’t stop.. please don’t stop” he moaned brokenly. In answer the elf let him hook his feet around his waist and crouched back down over Bard, never breaking his pace. As he leaned down to kiss him one last time he whispered “Come for me Bard, don’t hold back”.

And with that Bard could feel himself toppling over the edge, his cries swallowed by Legolas who kissed him deeply while he rode out his release. Bard could feel Legolas speeding up and within three thrusts he followed Bard moaning into his mouth as Bard felt his warmth spreading inside him.

They stayed like that for what seemed a long time. Both trying to catch their breath, holding on to each other.

“ _Melinyel Melethron_ ” Legolas told him. “I love you, for all eternity”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. In darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas and Bard have to fight to get Tilda back, will they get to her before it's too late? Will anyone get out alive after knowingly walking into a trap? 
> 
> Trigger warnings again: This is a dark chapter and it's all there: violence, torture, rape.  
> Also pairing Bard/Orc.  
> Angst and Hurt/Comfort  
> don't like it? please don't read.

 

Side by side they stood, looking down over the edge of the slope and out over the valley below. The lonely mountain stood in the background, a battle zone not too far away. For everywhere armies were gathering in the depth. Legolas could see his father’s establishment close to Dale, and all the remaining people of Laketown that had gathered there. Further away armies of orcs still marched towards the mountain.

“We might not come back from this, you know”. Legolas said, while looking over at Bard. “We’re probably walking into a trap”.

“I know. We’ll just have to move in and out quickly”. Bard still looked down towards the camp far below, as if trying to see his children in the distance. Then he looked over and took Legolas’s hand “You don’t have to come. I need to, this is my child, my responsibility. You could still go back”.

Legolas squeezed his hand before replying “There’s no way I’d turn back now. I’m the reason they took her. And your children mean a lot to me, even if only because they mean the world to you”.

They hugged briefly, each holding the other tightly. “They’re keeping her in a cave a couple of miles from here, uphill. My father’s scouts saw orcs carry a small burden in there. There’s no doubt in my mind that’s where we’ll find her”. Legolas looked at him. “We’re going to circle round, find another way in and try to get her out before they notice we’re there”.

“Let’s go then.” Bard gathered his belongings and got on his horse. Together they rode on in silence, Legolas leading the way.

After a couple of hours Legolas jumped of his horse and tied it to a tree to the side of the road. Bard got off as well and did the same. “From here on we’ll walk”. Legolas told him in a hushed voice, before leaping up the slope and starting to climb to the top. Bard followed him quietly, mimicking his every move, be it less graceful than the Elf climbing above him.

As they reached the top of the hill Legolas crouched down before looking over the edge, Bard coming up beside him.

Beneath them, a couple of huge orcs could be seen, standing in front of what looked like to be the entrance to another cave. “Guards” Legolas hissed. “We need to find a way around them, the others are probably inside”.

Staying low, they both made their way around the edge of the ridge, avoiding the guards effectively. On the other side more orcs could be seen. These ones seemingly not on guard duty but sitting next to a fire, eating and drinking and not caring about their surroundings. Bard hissed “There’s only six of them, we could take them out from here. We each carry a bow”.

Legolas looked down at the dining party and nodded. “Alright, but we’ll have to move fast. If we don’t kill them quickly enough they’ll alert others”.

Bard took out his bow and loaded his first arrow unto the string, next to him Legolas did the same. “I’ll take the left ones” He told Legolas with a grim expression on his face.

“On three. One, two, three!” Legolas fired his first shot, clean through the eye of the first orc. Bard followed a second later, his arrow landed neatly between the eyes of his target. They both went down without a sound. Before the others realised what had happened two more arrows were shot and two more orcs fell to the ground soundlessly.

Two more remained. They had stood up in bewilderment and tried to make a run for it, stumbling over their weapons and the fireplace to get away. Both were quickly brought down as well, each with an arrow to their back or neck.

“We need to move fast. Someone could’ve heard the last two.” Legolas was already sliding down the slope, down to where the bodies of the orcs lay, his bow still held at the ready in his hands. Bard followed suit, but he made a lot more noise than the Elf who seemed to glide over the rocks and sand. Where Bard was moving down the hill rocks started falling down as well, hitting the ground below with too loud thuds as they broke apart at the bottom of the slope.

They’d just made it down to even ground when the first orcs started to appear from cracks in the mountain before them. Fully armoured, and running towards them. Legolas and Bard loaded up their bows and started taking each orc down methodically, one by one they fell under the onslaught of their arrows. But Bard knew their arrows would run out and it wouldn’t be long at this rate that they did.

Soon enough the orcs appearing out of the mountain became too much and when Bard fired his last arrow he threw his bow to the ground and pulled out his sword. With a battle cry he leapt forward and duck beneath the first attackers sword, stabbing him in the side of the neck as he past him. He noticed Legolas next to him, having pulled out his knives and killing every orc that came within his range.

Bard leapt to the crack in the mountain and started killing the foul beings appearing there, making short work of them as they could only appear one by one. Legolas behind him fighting the ones already out. As another huge orc approached he heard Legolas cry out and his head whipped around to see what happened. The Elf had been overrun by five orcs, one had grabbed him from behind, an arm over his throat and a hand in his hair, as he tried to bite at Legolas’s shoulder while the others approached him, weapons drawn.

As he watched Legolas threw his head back, knocking the orc behind him out before leaping up and moving so fast he was only a blur to the human eye. Within seconds he’d regained control and just as he was finishing the last one standing Bard turned around to his own oncoming attacker but found him already too close. Cursing himself for getting distracted he saw the being had just started to bring down his sword towards Bard’s chest and Bard knew he was too late to bring up his own sword and fend the attack off. In an instinct he spun away and felt the sword enter his left arm, before turning around again – his own sword now brought up, stabbing the orc through the throat. It looked at him before it went down, pulling his sword from Bard’s arm as he fell.

Bard cried out sharply and within seconds he could feel the presence of Legolas next to him, taking over and killing every being that exited the mountain. When there was none left Legolas turned to him, worried eyes searching his body before resting on his arm. “It’s nothing” Bard gasped “Just a scratch”. He looked at his arm and could see the flesh wound where the sword had cut into his arm, it didn’t seem to be too deep but it was bleeding badly.

“That’s more than just a scratch” Legolas answered and ripped a piece of fabric of his tunic. He bound it tightly around Bard’s arm to stop the bleeding.

“Well, so much for entering unnoticed”. Legolas looked at Bard, straightening up then turning around to the crack out of which the orcs had come out. In an instant Legolas disappeared inside. Bard looked around him for a second, at all the fallen orcs nearby before following Legolas into the mountain.

They’d walked for a couple of minutes in the dark, following a small tunnel deep into the mountain. It occurred to Bard that Elves normally wouldn’t go underground, they lived by the light of the sun, the stars and the moon. Their strength benefiting from it. He looked over at Legolas and could just make out the side of his face, his expression grim and determined.

Finally they reached the end of the tunnel and they stepped into a round cave, the ceilings high, a couple of torches here and there barely providing some light in the room. Bard could see several other tunnels entering the cave from multiple directions. “I don’t like this Legolas”.

Legolas shook his head “Me neither, but I can’t go back now”. As he spoke they could hear sounds coming out of the other tunnels. Feet on the floor coming towards them, metal clanking.

Bard and Legolas stood next to each other, their shoulders touching, swords held ready. Out of three other tunnels orcs came pouring in, one after the other, a variety of sizes but all mean looking and armed to the teeth.

Bard looked at Legolas who returned his gaze, his eyes missing the spark there normally was. Legolas mouthed something and Bard understood “For Tilda!” He screamed as they ran into the herd of orcs, slashing away at them with everything they had. Bard killed one after the other, barely avoiding an axe aimed at his back and a knife to the head. Next to him he saw Legolas fighting, gracefully as always, spinning around and killing all that came into reach of his two knives.

But there were too many. Bard was spinning and fighting, trying to keep an eye out for all of them around him, but when he turned to fend off a sword aiming for his heart he missed another one. His shoulder felt like it was being ripped off, the knife going all through before it was pulled back out. Bard screamed and couldn’t seem to catch his breath. Then he felt something knocking into him and he slammed into the floor hard. He was still trying to catch his breath when one of the orcs jumped on top of him and punched Bard in the face, dazing him further. Next to him he could hear Legolas cry out in pain, and then again a cry pierced the room. “This is it” Bard thought “We failed. This is how it ends”.

“STOP!” a deep voice sounded over all the chaos in the cave. At once, all of the orcs backed away. Leaving Bard and Legolas in their midst. Both were on the floor. Bard sat up, his hand covering his left shoulder, putting pressure on the wound. He looked over at Legolas to find him staring at him, he was kneeling on the floor, head down, eyes up at him. His hands trying to stop what looked like a deep wound in his left thigh from bleeding. Bard could see a slight tremble in the Elf’s hands and he tried to move to over to him. He was stopped by the orcs surrounding them, many hands keeping him pinned in place.

“You, Elfling!” The deep voice came from the biggest orc Bard ever laid eyes upon, he figured that must be Bolg. “You may choose now. You can keep fighting and then you and your mate will die, and the girl as well”. Legolas’s eyes never left Bard’s, despair showing in them before they clouded over, hiding every emotion inside.

“Or” the orc continued “you can fight me. Alone, just you and me. You win, you all three can walk out of here. I win, you two take her place”. All around them he could hear the snickering of the orcs surrounding him.

“No!” Bard wanted to say more but Legolas silenced him, begging him with his eyes to be quiet, before speaking out himself “I want to see the girl. I need your word, she walks whatever happens”.

Bard couldn’t believe Legolas was considering this. He was wounded, and not himself in the dark cave. And he would be fighting the largest orc Bard had ever seen.

The orc raised his hand then and in came two orcs with in their midst the person they’d been looking for. “Tilda!” Bard pushed forward in the hands of his captors, desperate to hold his daughter, keep her safe. Her head flew up “Da!” She looked like she’d been crying a lot, her clothes dirty, her hair dishevelled. But she looked otherwise unharmed.

On another sign from the orc they started to take her away again. She was fighting to remain there, with her father. But they easily overpowered her and disappeared with their precious burden into one of the tunnels.

Bard was struggling again with his captors “Let her go..!” he was hit hard in his back, sagging forward in their arms before trying to straighten up again. He looked beside him and caught the look in Legolas’s eyes - pleading with him to stop fighting. Bard stopped struggling and became still.

“You’re not in a position to demand anything Elfling, but I might let her go. If only to tell the world this is where the arrogant Elf prince met his match.. and his death”.

He grunted out something in orcish and the orcs scattered, pulling a struggling Bard along to the far side of the cave. Leaving in their midst an open space to where their leader was headed. A huge sword in his hand, his whole body made out of pieces of iron – he didn’t need any armour, he was made out of it. It was rapidly getting darker in the cave and Bard saw most of the torches had been pulled from the walls and extinguished, leaving just enough light to see Legolas standing up as well, his elven sword in his hand, knives holstered on his back. When he walked over to the space where Bolg was waiting for him, the other orcs created a path for him, crudely cheering him on. Only Bard noticed the slight limp in his stride, and even though his facial expression was wiped blank he could see the Elf was worried.

“Now, you fight in MY world Elfling!” Bolg didn’t waste any time, he charged at Legolas once the Elf set foot in the space left open for the fight.

Legolas easily blocked him, his strength obviously a match to the huge orc he was fighting, fending off blow after blow and dealing ones as well as he spun around the orc. His speed was no match for the orc and he got in multiple hits. Had it been any other he was fighting the foul being would’ve been slain, but the armour in its hide kept Legolas blade from creating any real damage and the orc charged again. This time when Legolas blocked the blow the creature took a hold off his sword, pulling Legolas close then pounding the Elf with his fists to the ground. The sword discarded before it was taken by the orcs surrounding him and thrown into the crowd.

“No!” Bard struggled in the hold of the orcs holding him, seeing Legolas fall to the ground, his sword taken from him.

The orc followed Legolas to the floor and picked him up by his throat, aiming to throw him towards one of the walls but Legolas struggled out of the hold, circled around and hit the being from behind before kicking him into the ring of Orcs around him. Bard had never seen any Elf fight like this, couldn’t even begin to comprehend the strength that was hidden behind the mask of the lean and beautiful Elf that he came to know and love.

But when he looked at Legolas again he could see the how worn out the Elf looked. Blood was running down the side of his face, and he seemed to be off balance – his stance wobbly, favouring his right leg, the left now bleeding more from the battle wound he conceived earlier. He looked pale and a sickly sheen of sweat lay over his brow, and Bard understood why the orc had made him come here. The darkness was sapping his strength fast, especially with Legolas being injured as well. At that moment Bard knew they wouldn’t be getting out alive. He started struggling again “Legolas, please stop”!

He saw the Elf look at him, his eyes seemingly unfocussed, no expression on his face. “He stops, your girl dies”. The orc stepped back into the ring, looking more furious than ever.

Legolas averted his gaze and pulled out both his knives before crouching down in a defensive stance. When the beast charged again he fended off all the blows, twisting and circling and charging himself at inhuman speed. Multiple quick hits met their mark as he aimed for bits of clear skin and the orc howled before taking hold of Legolas mid spin, his huge hands covering the Elf’s as he pushed them down and the blades away from his face. Then he kneed the Elf cruelly in his side and onto his wounded leg. Legolas cried out sharply, sagging in the hold of the monster behind him. Then he straightened up, his face determined, and threw his head back into the orc’s face. The beast released him and stumbled back from the impact of the blow. Legolas lost one of his knifes but spun around and climbed on top of the orc that was still recovering from the blow. He moved slow though, and couldn’t seem to focus on the task at hand. When he fumbled to move his knife up for a fatal blow to the brains the orc let himself fall backwards.

Bard saw the orc fall with Legolas underneath him and briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them again the orc had pinned Legolas down and was pounding into him, his hands the size of boulders, each blow aimed at the Elf’s chest, stomach and sides. He couldn’t see Legolas’s face, the orc on top of him blocked him from view. But when he saw the Elf’s hand fall to the floor, releasing his hold on the knife that he had still been gripping tightly, he knew it was over. Silent tears ran over his face as he saw the orc stand up and pull an unconscious Legolas up with him, showing him off to everyone in the room.

As the orcs around him went wild Bard only had eyes for his lover, hanging so still in the hands of the orc. His face and fair hair bloodied, one side of his face bruised – his eye swollen shut, his tunic ripped. And he was so pale.. As he watched he saw one of the eyes flutter before opening and within seconds finding Bard. He was still alive! Bard sobbed in the hold of his captors as he saw the eye close, his body going limp again.

“So much for the Prince of Mirkwood!” Bolg let out a monstrous laugh and dropped the lifeless body in front him to the floor.

Bard saw Legolas twitch as he regained consciousness again. The Elf pushed himself up to his hand and knees before rasping out “Let the girl go, I did what you told me to do, you’ve won”.

Bolg laughed again, the sound like nails scratching over a chalkboard “The girl has already been set free, I wasn’t lying. You however were never meant to leave this place alive, and since you’ve brought your mate there with you he can die as well. We just might have some fun with the two of you”. The orcs around them again cackled with laughter and pushed and pulled Bard forwards, until he reached the open space and sank to his knees beside Legolas.

The elf raised his head before mouthing “I’m sorry”, but before Bard could reply he was kicked harshly on the side and he rolled through the dust towards the ring of orcs. He was kicked again multiple times, back into the circle by any being that could reach him, ending on his back - gasping for breath. Before he could recover a huge foot was put on top of his chest and he couldn’t breathe at all anymore, the pressure steadily increasing until he felt something snap inside his chest. He moaned in pain and then heard Legolas fighting to get to him nearby “Please, stop it! It’s me you want, don’t hurt him. Please!”

The orc’s foot lifted and the pressure on his chest subsided. He rolled over unto his side to look at Legolas and saw that he was being subdued by multiple orcs, they were holding him down while looking at the scene in front of them enthusiastically.

Bard looked up and saw Bolg stare at him, a weird gleam in his eye. “Strip him down to the waist” he ordered, referring to Bard. “Chain the Elf to the wall there”.

Chaos ensued, both Bard and Legolas fighting to get to each other, both failing. The Elf receiving multiple punches to his abdomen and legs making him go limp in the arms of his attackers. Bard knocked two orcs off him but as he tried to stand up to fight pain inside his chest brought him back down to his knees, the edges of his vision blackening. A knee in his back forced him to lie face down on the floor. Knifes cutting his armour then his tunic off. “Not again, not again” Gods, a mantra was going on and on in his mind and he felt the walls inside his head shoot up again. Through a haze he looked up and as an opening in the crowd around him presented itself he could see Legolas, his last hand in the process of being chained to the wall. His head hanging down.

“Wake up the Elfling. I want him to watch.”

And Legolas was brought back to consciousness, dirty water thrown in his face and orcs pulling his head up by his hair. He struggled briefly but when he saw the metal holding his wrists he soon stopped, realizing he wouldn’t get out.

Two orcs lingered, their hands ripped his tunic off, scratching and clawing at his exposed skin. Legolas tried to turn away in disgust but was pushed into the wall further, his head colliding with it painfully. One orc went to cut of his leggings and Legolas prepared himself for what he knew would happen. He knew he wouldn't survive if they forced him. It was the mercy of the Valar that was bestowed unto all Elves: to allow their spirit to leave the body behind, and not have to bear the pain of such an evil act for all of their immortal life.

Just as the orc put his knife to his waistband the cruel voice sounded out again “Stop that you filthy maggots! He is not yet to be touched, I want him alive for this!” The orcs pulled away immediately, leering near for there was a promise in the words of their leader. Later.

“Well, it looks like you’re not unfamiliar with what I intend to do you Man”. Bolg had crouched down, his hand on Bard’s back, slowly stroking it as if admiring the scars already there.

The orc stood up again, in his hand a cruel looking whip with what looked like shards of glass tied to the end of it.

“No, please stop it, take me instead!” Legolas started struggling in earnest again, blood running down his arms where the metal bit into his wrists.

The huge orc ignored him “Hold him down” he ordered as he stepped back and watched as four orcs grabbed hold of Bard’s arms and legs, forcing him to lie still, face down on the floor.

Legolas could see Bard’s face, his long hair not quite hiding him from view. His eyes were open, but they were staring unseeingly ahead. Dead eyes. Like he was not really there. He was reminded of the last time Bard was tortured, his explanation afterwards _“”I..I did not scream. I didn’t give them the satisfaction of responding to them”._

And sure enough when Bolg pulled his arm back and struck Bard for the first time, the cruel whip cutting open almost every bit of skin it touched, Bard flinched but didn’t react otherwise. His eyes now closed, every muscle in his body tense.

Legolas watched until Bard’s back was once again whipped into one bleeding mass of flesh. He’d long since stopped pleading with the orcs, tears running freely down his face. Legolas felt dizzy and disorientated, the wound in his leg bleeding profusely, a strange warmth spreading from the wound to the rest of his body. The dark crowding him, he found it hard to breathe.

Bard moaned now and then but still hadn’t screamed and Legolas saw the orcs getting frustrated. “ _Scream Bard, don’t hold it back_ ” He feared they’d find other ways to make him scream, and he couldn’t bear to think about what was to come.

His lover suddenly went limp and the orc stopped whipping him, throwing it down in frustration. He picked Bard up and moved to stand in front of Legolas. Throwing Bard’s unconscious body down at his feet before grabbing Legolas by the neck, cutting of all airflow, admiring the choking and rapidly weakening Elf before him before snapping out “I could end your life as if it were nothing Elf, but I think I like to see you suffer too much”.

With that he released him and walked away into the crowd. Legolas coughed as his starving lungs forced him to take in air, the warmth in his body now turning to a burn. Poison. He felt stupid for not realising earlier, that’s why the dark had such an immediate effect on him.

He could see Bard stirring below and tried calling out to him “Bard, my love, look at me”. And Bard looked up, taking in the sight of his wounded lover chained to the wall in front of him. “Bard, I’m so sorry”. “No” Bard coughed, blood in the corner of his mouth, “Tilda is safe. We didn’t fail. I’m sorry too, I never wanted it to end like this..” His voice no more than a whisper, his breaths in between words coming out in rasps and followed by a fit of coughing again, more blood appearing around the corners of his mouth. Legolas paled, recognising the signs of internal injury.

They could hear Bolg approaching again, his boots heavy on the floor behind them. Bard rushed to whisper to Legolas “Whatever happens next, it’s ok. I love you”.

Legolas watched as he was pulled from the floor and when their eyes connected he mouthed “I love you too”.

Bolg threw him back down on the floor, eliciting a small cry of pain from Bard. Then orcs were on top of him, cutting at his pants until he was lying naked and bleeding on the floor. Protectively curling in on himself.

“No! No no no no” Legolas couldn’t do this. He couldn’t watch as his lover was raped again, this time by these foul.. monsters. He roared as he tried to break his chains. Watching as Bard was flipped over, his eyes a panicked look in them, hands searching the floor for something to hold, some leverage to pull himself away, before they were being grabbed by orcs around him. Immobilising him once again.

“Valar, No please!!” Legolas screamed again as an orc straddled Bard. His cock huge and erect against Bard’s buttocks. Then the orc looked at Legolas and sneered at him, before taking hold of his cock and slamming it inside the already broken body beneath him. Bard screamed, an almost animalistic sound, his body rising up of the floor in a response, multiple orcs trying to hold him still. Tears were leaking out of tightly shut eyes and with every thrust inside of him broken moans fell from his lips.

Legolas screamed again, his whole being now fixed on getting out, to stop them from hurting his lover. He felt one of his shoulders pop as the force at which he was struggling pulled it out of its socket.

Then through all the chaos inside the cave his elven ears picked up another sound. Running feet, light feet, coming through the tunnels towards them. Sure enough a moment later Elfish warriors appeared from the tunnels, filtering in two by two almost soundlessly before causing mayhem in the cave. All around them orcs were either trying to fight or trying to escape, scattering and falling over each other in their rush.

The orcs holding Bard down got up and ran, the one on top of him scrambling to get off of him, before he too turned and fled down a tunnel behind Legolas. Bard remained lying motionless on the floor. Legolas couldn’t see whether he was still breathing or not and he cried out for him “Bard, please..!”

He could see Bolg coming at them with big strides, no doubt to finish them off and cast a last look at his lover lying so still on the ground. “I’ll be with you soon my love”. He whispered and looked the beast dead in the eyes as he approached.

At the last moment the Orc was violently pushed aside and Legolas’s eyes widened in shock as he recognised his father, wielding his two swords, fighting the foul beast and forcing it away from his son and the man on the ground. The king’s eyes were ablaze, lips pulled back in a snarl as he whirled around in a blur, carving at the beast in front of him. Killing every orc that came in their path.

In what seemed a couple of seconds, but time was moving strangely in Legolas’s mind – it seemed like everything was slowing down around him -, his father proved to be the better fighter as he jumped on the orcs back and cut off its head, using both of his swords to do so. As the beast went down the King jumped off, crouching in a defensive stand, turning and assessing the danger around him. Most of the orcs had by then already been killed or had fled away and the King slowly rose, holstering his swords. For the first time he made eye contact with his only son before moving towards him in a haste. “Ada” Legolas pleaded “Please.. check on him, is he alive?” Referring to Bard who lay so still on the floor where they left him.

His father ignored him, making quick work of the shackles holding Legolas to the wall. Without the chains holding him up Legolas sagged down to the floor, his body too weak to hold him up. His father’s arms around his waist steadying him “What were you thinking Legolas? Going in alone against so many..”

“I wasn’t alone, please Thranduil. Let me check on him..” By now he could see others of his kin kneeling down where Bard lay, still face down. “Legolas, it’s taken care off, we need to go now”. The king started pulling his son away, towards safety, when Legolas suddenly turned and pulled himself free of his father’s grasp. He fell to his knees instantly “Ada, please.. I love him” The king looked down at his son, hesitating, then pulled him up and helped him over to where Bard lay.

The elves had turned him over onto his side and Legolas dropped down heavily beside him, cradling his head in his lap. All his thoughts were with the last person he loved that died in his lap, fear making him choke on his breath. – _Please Valar don’t let him die! -_ “Bard, love, please wake up.. Come back to me”! No reaction, desperately he reached for his neck, trying to find a pulse.

It was there, very weak and slow but it was there. Legolas choked back a sob - _Thank you Valar!_ He looked around him and saw his father’s guards gathered around them. He started ordering them to bring his lover to safety “Take him, quickly! He needs medical attention now”. He watched as they loaded Bard unto a makeshift stretcher made of spears and cloth then carry him into one of the tunnels. Aided by his father he followed them, walking out by himself. Once outside the bright sun struck him hard and he had to cover his eyes with his hand. He watched again as they loaded Bard onto a carriage that was waiting outside for them.

Only then, when he knew Bard would be safe, did he let go. His legs gave out and his eyes fluttered shut, darkness edging around him once again. He could vaguely hear his father barking out orders. Then he knew nothing anymore as he gave in and succumbed to the dark.

 

\-------------

 

White. Everything was white around him, blinding him, hurting his eyes as he tried to open them. Everything felt so.. heavy.

Legolas struggled as he tried to shake off the heaviness in his head and force his limbs to work, or even open his eyes.

“Legolas, lie still son, you’re safe”. Legolas stilled, recognising his father’s voice. Slowly he tried to open his eyes again and this time succeeded, blinking them hard to get rid of the pain of the light around him. The room darkened and the pain in his head subsided, he could make out his father closing curtains on the other side of the room.

“Ada?” Legolas didn’t know what he was asking for, his mind empty, not understanding why he was feeling so messed up, not recognizing the feeling of being so helpless.

He tried to sit up again and pain shot through his body, his thigh, chest, shoulder, everything seemed to be on fire and he was just able to swallow back a cry; breathing heavily as he tried to control himself.

He could feel his father sitting down on the bed beside him, trying to reassure him but his mind took him away and he couldn’t make out what was being said.

_Darkness._

_Orcs everywhere. Bard being pinned down, and him helpless to stop any of it._

_A sword entering his thigh, burning.._

_Cries in the dark._

“Bard!” Legolas remembered it all, could still see Bard lying on the floor so still, unmoving, barely breathing. “Thranduil, please.. Bard?”

Thranduil looked away for a moment before replying. “He’s still in critical condition.” Upon seeing Legolas’s horrified gaze, he added quickly “He’s alive Legolas. He just suffered a lot of injuries, they had to operate on him. He hasn’t woken up yet”.

Legolas started to sit up more “I need to see him”. His father’s eyes shot up to look into his “Legolas you’re in no state to go see anyone. I nearly lost you _Hinya_ ”. Legolas was shocked to see the proud king’s eyes fill with tears. He stopped moving and sagged back into the bed, he couldn’t remember the last time his father called him his child.

“Tell me, please”. He demanded softly.

The king looked at him for what seemed a long time, then replied “You were poisoned by a Morgul blade. When we got to treating you it was almost too late. You wouldn’t respond to anything at first. With them keeping you in de dark they knowingly worsened your condition, your body couldn’t heal on its own anymore and it wouldn’t respond to the light. Which is probably why you’re having trouble to adjust even now. The healers told me they almost lost you.” His father didn’t look at him while he was speaking, his voice devoid of any emotion. “Apart from that you suffered a concussion, a dislocated shoulder and a couple of fractures to your ribs and cheekbone. The healers bound your ribs. Your abdomen was put through some trauma as well but the healers couldn’t find any internal injuries. You’ve been put on painkillers to ease the pain.”

Thranduil looked at his son “You’ve been lucky”.

“What about Bard?” Legolas wouldn’t look at his father, staring at the ceiling above him.

Thranduil sighed “Bard was less lucky. He suffered multiple cuts and bruises as well. A knife wound to his shoulder. It appeared he was trampled..” he looked over at his son, questioning. Legolas only nodded to the ceiling, not elaborating, and Thranduil continued “multiple ribs were broken. Two of them punctured his right lung and pierced an artery. He was bleeding internally when he arrived and the healers had to open him up to put everything back in place and stop the bleeding.” Legolas had closed his eyes, his fears confirmed. Thranduil hesitated before continuing “He was whipped.. and they forced themselves onto him. His back has been treated but it will take time to heal. He needed stitches down.. there as well. They’d torn him, he was bleeding badly. I don’t know how his mind will be when he wakes up”. Thranduil exhaled a shaky breath.

“Did they do it to hurt you?” He asked his son, lying so very still in the bed beside him. Legolas’s eyes shot to his father’s, filling with tears, some falling down his face. “Aye. They made me watch. He told them they couldn't touch me because he wanted me to suffer. I couldn’t get loose!” the last words almost a scream as his voice choked and Thranduil leaned over him. Embracing his broken son in a gentle hug.

Legolas cried into his father’s shoulder, before pushing him away. His eyes shooting fire as he raged at the king “You could’ve stopped this! We asked for your help and you turned us down!”

The King looked down at his hands “A decision I will regret to the day I’ll sail to the undying lands. I didn’t know. I didn’t know about your feelings for this man. When I found out you left alone and Bard followed you.. I came as quickly as I could” He looked at Legolas, his shoulders sagging “Legolas, you should’ve told me”.

Legolas felt the anger leave his body “I know. It’s all my fault.” He looked at his father “I love him father. I’ve bound myself to him”. The king’s head shot up, his expression pained “Why Legolas? Why do you keep doing this to yourself? ..Does he know?”

Legolas looked down and shook his head. “I don’t think he fully understands what it means to an Elf”. The king shook his head and spat out “The last time you’ve bound yourself to a mortal it nearly killed you when he passed, have you forgotten about that?”

“Girion was Bard’s ancestor. I couldn’t help it”. Legolas had put his hands over his eyes, his voice a whisper “and now he might still die..? I need to see him Ada, I meant what I said”.

Thranduil looked at his son, so fragile, so not his usual strong and confident self, and his heart broke for him. He’d loved once, Legolas’s mother, and when she was killed and taken from them he’d never loved anyone else again. Didn’t dare to. His son was so much stronger than he was.

He nodded and stood up, opening a door and calling for the healers.

Not long after Legolas was put on a stretcher and walked over to Bard’s quarters. He could hear Thranduil firing off order after order and when they got there he was put in a bed in a half sitting position with next to him the man he loved and feared he’d never see again.

Bard was lying face down, a blanket pulled up to his hips, his torso bare but a bandage covered his whole back and sides. His shoulder had been taped in and his arm bandaged up as well. Legolas saw all of that in the blink of an eye and took it all in before he mastered the courage to look up into his face.

He looked so peaceful. His hair was bound back the elven way and it enhanced his features, even with the bruises on his face. His breathing however was off, too fast and with each breath in and out there was a crackling sound in his lungs.

“There’s still fluid in his lungs” Legolas looked back to his father and the healers standing respectfully in the doorway.

“Yes, my Prince.” One of the healers walked in and around the bed. He held up a tube with a bag attached to it, which appeared to come from Bard's chest. “We’re doing our best to drain the rest of the fluid, but there is an infection as well which makes it harder”.

Legolas touched Bard’s cheek, then forehead and found him to be scorching hot. “Has he received any medication? For the pain, the fever?”

“Again yes, my Prince. He’s on the maximum of what we dare to give him, given the state he’s in. You can rest assured that he’s well sedated, any more and we’re afraid he might not wake up anymore”.

Legolas could only stare at the man he loved. It was the second time he’s seen him like this, his back wrapped in bandage just like before. This time though it hurt more. Last time Bard had been awake, now he wasn’t. Last time he didn’t love him like he did now. Silent tears fell from his eyes as he laid down next to him, his hand grabbing Bard’s limp hand, holding it while he leaned over and softly kissed his cheek. “Come back to me Bard. I need you to come back to me..”

He could hear his father and the healers retreat from the room and closed his eyes, still holding Bard’s hand.

 

\-----

It was midday the next day when Legolas woke up. His eyes immediately on his lover next to him. Bard looked like he hadn’t moved all night, his eyes still closed, breathing laboured. When Legolas put a hand to his cheek however he felt cooler, and Legolas was certain the fever had died down.

A soft knock on the door and two healers came walking in “My prince, we need to check on you both and change the bandages.” Legolas nodded and they came up to him, checking his vitals and handing him more painkillers which he declined. “I’d like to stay clear headed today. The pain is bearable”. Which wasn’t a complete lie, he hurt all over but he could manage with the pain. The healing sleep he normally didn't need having helped immensely.

When they wrapped his ribs up again and cleaned and bandaged the wound on his leg though he almost reconsidered, but didn’t give in.

“My Prince, we need to change the bandages on Bard too, if you will allow us”. Again Legolas nodded, as he sat up straighter in the bed.

They gently peeled of the bandages and dressing on Bard’s back and Legolas unwillingly closed his eyes. His back was far worse than before, here and there pieces of skin seemed to be ripped off, whiplashes crisscrossing from his shoulders down to his buttocks. It didn’t seem infected though, the dressing stimulating the healing process. “Will it heal on its own?” he asked, his voice shaking.

“We suspect they will, my Prince. He’ll be left with scars though, some of the lashes are too deep to heal well. We’ve had to remove pieces of glass from some of the wounds.”. She looked him in the eyes “Anyone that uses a bullwhip with pieces of glass in it on a person or anything else for that matter is a monster. And I do hope they got what deserve”.

Legolas shook his head, his throat tight at the memory, swallowing away the tears he felt coming up. “Aye, they were monsters”.

Right at that moment Bard stirred. His hand opened and shut and his body started trembling. Legolas went to lay down beside him and saw his eyes fluttering. “Bard. Bard, love, open your eyes. I’m here”. Slowly Bard opened his eyes, finding Legolas’s and staring at him in confusion.

Legolas realised he must look a mess as well, broken cheekbone and all, but he laid his hand on Bard face and smiled at him. “You’ll be alright Bard, I’m here”.

Slowly Bard’s expression went from confusion to desperation and anxiety. “H..how?” he croaked out. His hand reaching for Legolas’s, needing contact. “My kin rescued us. My father came after us after he learned I had gone”. Bard’s gaze seemed to turn inwards and he shuddered as tears welled up in panicked eyes “I’m..sorry. A..gain”.

“No Bard, you have nothing to be sorry about. Everything was my fault. Í am sorry, I caused so much pain”. Silent tears fell down Bard’s face as he shook his head “No, n..not your fault. You ..ok?”

“Yes, I’ll live. And so will you”. Legolas saw Bard’s eyes flutter shut again and he whispered “Rest, my brave one. I’ll be right here”.

 

“Aargh! Da! No, I yield, I yield!” The child in his lap screamed with laughter as she tried to squirm out of his hold, away from the ticklish fingers in her sides.

“Tilda, lunch is ready! Are you coming or what?” Bain stood in the doorway, watching his dad and sister with an unreadable expression on his face.

Bard stopped his tickle assault on his daughter and pulled her close, hugging her to his body before letting her go “Go Tilda, I'll be there later". “Da, you never come” she replied pouting, before walking over to her brother.

He watched his children walk away together, the door slamming shut behind them.

As it did his posture changed, his shoulders sagging he leaned back in the chair he was sat in, staring outside.

The door opened and closed again softly behind him. A slight weight settled itself on the arm of the chair as Legolas sat down. “Why don’t you go eat as well Bard?”

Bard looked up at him briefly before looking away, staring outside once again “I’ll eat later, I’m not hungry right now. You don’t need to look after me Legolas, just go and join them”.

Legolas looked down at his handsome but too thin lover, dark circles under his eyes revealing how exhausted he was, not resting nor eating enough. Just forcing himself on for his children, to make it okay for them.

It had been 5 weeks ever since they were captured. The war was over, Mordor had been defeated and everyone seemed happy with sharing the wealth in the mountain. Legolas couldn’t remember a more united Middle Earth: Elves, Humans, Hobbits, even Dwarfs were living at peace with one another. King Thranduil had even opened the gates to Mirkwood, allowing merchants from the Blue Mountain in.

They both had healed, Legolas faster than Bard, being an Elf and less injured. Bard’s lungs were given the all clear a few weeks ago, his ribs still tender but not needing to be wrapped anymore. His back was still sore and inflamed at some parts, but most of it had healed beautifully – any lasting scars seemed to be minimal due to the potions from the skilled healers.

His mind though was another matter. He had withdrawn from everyone but his children, keeping up the appearance of being okay with them. Even though his older children noticed something was off with their father, they didn’t mention it. It killed Legolas, to see his lover so hurt and being unable to help him.

Not even the new surroundings of being in Mirkwood had helped. Bard mostly just sat in his chair, staring outside with eyes that seemed to have turned inwards.

Legolas tried to help at first but Bard didn’t react well to it. Now he was trying to be respectful, and tried to give him time. Knowing how scared Bard had been the last time, just with him touching him or approaching him. But it killed him inside, Bard pushing him away. He couldn’t remember when he himself ate last, his energy low and his leg glowing hot in the place he’d been stabbed.

He couldn’t do this anymore. He dropped to his knees in front of the man he loved, his hands reaching for Bard’s, who pulled them away “Bard, please. Don’t shut me out any longer. I don’t know how much more I can take of this, please let me in.. Let me help you”.

Bard looked down, shock on his face before his expression went blank as usual “I.. can’t Legolas. Just leave me be.” Legolas’s shoulders sagged and he let his head hang down, still on his knees before Bard “What are you afraid of Bard? I was there. I know what they did, to me, to you. We got out, we’re alive, we cannot linger in the past”.

Bard sat up straight, his eyes now shining in anger “It wasn’t you they tortured! It wasn’t you they raped! It’s always me. It is me that attracts it. And not linger in the past? You think I can just forget everything, because I’m a man? I’m not an Elf and I won’t live forever but I will carry this with me until the day I die. How can you tell me to move forward when you can’t even bear to touch me, or look at me for that matter?” His voice rising to a shout he stood up abruptly, knocking over Legolas in the process. Who remained where he landed on the floor. Bard looked down at him, tears now in his eyes “You need to let me go Legolas, I need to go through this alone. I don’t want you involved in my misery”.

Legolas was pale as he replied, his eyes focused on the floor “It’s too late for that”. He sat up slowly again, hands shaking in his lap before he looked up and continued “I’ve bound myself to you Bard. Your misery is my misery, and it’s killing me that I haven’t been able to help you”.

Bard looked at him again, shock all over his face “You’ve bound yourself to me? What does that mean?”

“It means that I love you. Not just right now, but for eternity. I’m bound to your fate and I feel your pain as if it were my own”.

Bard sagged down to the floor in front of Legolas, his eyes never leaving the Elf’s. “You can feel my pain?” he asked in a small voice. “Aye” Legolas replied “Not literally but I can feel the turmoil inside you, the pain and anger..”

“Why didn’t you tell me? When did this happen?” Bard needed to know the answers, his mind a jumble. “When we made love in the mountain, I.. there wasn’t time to tell you. To explain..” There it was, the confirmation Bard dreaded, his face paled.

“So you felt everything I felt inside that cave. Everything I went through”. It wasn’t a question but Legolas nodded anyway. “Not the exact way you felt it. I could feel what it did to you. Your emotions and inner pain”.

Brad flinched “Wait.. Your fate is bound to mine? What if I had died Legolas?” Legolas looked down “I don’t know. There’s a probability I wouldn’t have survived either.”

Bard looked at him, tears falling from his eyes “I didn’t know, this isn’t right. You’re immortal, an Elf.. how could you bind yourself to me.. a mortal? I never asked for this”. When Legolas held out his arms he crawled over to him, letting himself be pulled into an embrace, crying into the chest of the Elf he loved, soft hands stroking his hair. “Shh, it was my own choice. I wouldn’t want it any other way”.

Bard relaxed into the Elf’s arms, enjoying their closeness again after missing it for what seemed like ages. “Why wouldn’t you touch me anymore Legolas?”

Legolas’s hands stilled in his hair “You didn’t respond well to it the last time. I was trying to give you time. ..waited for you to be ready. I didn’t want to hurt you, or scare you..”

Bard tried to get even closer to the Elf, tightening the embrace “I thought what they did had repulsed you. Seeing those.. beasts have their way with me. It repulsed me. A man is one thing, an orc..” his breathing hitched as more tears fell down his handsome face “An orc had sex with me. I’ve been tainted. I cannot forget it.”

Legolas unwrapped himself from around Bard and pulled up his head, making him look at him. “I’ve told you this once before and I’ll say it again. You didn’t attract that. It wasn’t anything you did and it was never your fault. Nor should you feel ashamed. They just wanted to hurt me and I made the mistake of showing them I cared for you. They would’ve done it to me Bard, but they made me watch them do it to you instead, knowing it would hurt me more, last longer. ..It was all my fault, I should’ve never allowed for you to come with me”. Legolas’s expression showed so much pain and guilt that it broke Bard’s heart. “You didn’t need to allow it, it was my decision. If I hadn’t come with you they would’ve killed you. I don’t regret it”.

Legolas knew that was true. Even as strong as he is, being the better fighter, he would’ve never survived the assault that Bard had gone through. “Valar, we are fools” he cried out, before kissing the man he so loved. Pouring all of his emotion into the kiss, feeling Bard stiffening briefly before responding and leaning into the kiss.

They broke apart, panting “I’m sorry I led you to believe I was ashamed or repulsed by you, I can never be Bard, not ever. You’re the strongest person I know” Legolas told him. Bard swallowed hard before replying “I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’m sorry for saying all of that just now.. I knew you suffered too, I just didn’t realise the depths of it”.

They kissed again, then stood up as one, still holding each other. Legolas chuckled “Let’s start anew, shall we? Will you join me for lunch?” Bard laughed, his first real laugh in too long.

“Might as well now right..? I could use a meal, or two”.

“You and me both, and perhaps you could join me for dessert afterwards? Did you know that Mirkwood has a lot of hot springs?” Legolas blinked innocently and Bard couldn’t hold back more laughter. “Fine, but I’ll take care of you this time.” The Elf raised his eyebrows in surprise as he watched Bard walk to the door, before looking over his shoulder and whispering suggestively “Don’t forget to bring the shampoo”.

 

~The end

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter, yay! I so hope you've enjoyed this story.  
> I'm not sure if I want to write more fiction on this pairing, or any fiction at all.  
> Replies are most welcome, I'm curious about what others think of this story or my writing style :) 
> 
> Thank you!


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